灯盏花素对谷氨酸诱导大鼠海马神经细胞毒性的保护作用

选用培养的海马神经细胞研究灯盏花素(breviscapine，Bre)对谷氨酸(glutamate，Glu)诱导神经细胞毒性的保护作用及其机制。新生大鼠海马神经细胞体外培养8 d后， 用L-谷氨酸(0.1， 0.5及1.0 mmol·L^-1)处理30 min； 灯盏花素处理组在加入L-谷氨酸的同时给予不同剂量的灯盏花素(10， 20及40 μmol·L^-1)； 继续正常培养24 h后， 用Annexin V联合流式细胞仪检测细胞的凋亡和坏死率； RT-PCR分析凋亡蛋白抑制剂XIAP mRNA的表达。结果表明， L-谷氨酸浓度依赖性地诱导神经细胞发生凋亡和坏死， 并使细胞XIAP mRNA表达发生浓度依赖性的双向变化： 0.1 mmol·L^-1 L-谷氨酸使神经细胞XIAP mRNA表达增强， 而较高浓度使XIAP mRNA表达下调。灯盏花素(20和40 μmol·L^-1)可有效抑制谷氨酸诱导的神经细胞死亡， 分别使细胞凋亡率下降30.4%和40.1%， 坏死率下降32.5%和38.8%； 并上调XIAP mRNA表达45.1%和54.9%。激光共聚焦显微技术联合Fluo-3荧光标记检测表明，L-谷氨酸处理过程中海马神经细胞内Ca²⁺水平显著升高， 而灯盏花素可抑制谷氨酸引起的细胞内Ca²⁺超载(P<0.01)。以上结果提示， 灯盏花素可能通过抑制细胞Ca²⁺超载， 调节凋亡抑制因子XIAP的表达而有效保护谷氨酸对神经细胞的兴奋性毒性作用。

Protective effects of breviscapine against cultured rat hippocampal neuronal toxicity induced by glutamate

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of breviscapine on cultured rat hippocampal neuronal toxicity induced by glutamate. Primary hippocampal neurons were prepared from 2 day-old SD rats. After 8 days cultured in vitro, the cultures subjected to 30 min treatment of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mmol x L(-1) L-glutamate, separately. Breviscapine (10, 20 and 40 micromol x L(-1)) was added into the cultures during 30 min treatment of L-glutamate and for the following 24 h respectively. After 24 h of L-glutamate treatment, flow cytometric analysis of Annexin V (marks apoptosis) and PI (propidium iodide, marks necrosis) labeling cells showed that L-glutamate dose-dependently induced hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and necrosis. In agreement with these results, RT-PCR experiments indicated a biphasic regulation of X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) mRNA after L-glutamate treatment, i. e up-regulation by 0.1 mmol x L(-1) L-glutamate and down-regulation by 0.5 and 1.0 mmol x L(-1) L-glutamate. However, breviscapine markedly reduced apoptosis and necrosis due to toxicity of 0.5 mmol L(-1) L-glutamate. Compared with the vehicle-treated L-glutamate group, the apoptosis was reduced by 30.4% and 40.1%, and necrosis was reduced by 32.5% and 38.8%, after treatment by breviscapine of 20 and 40 micromol x L(-1). Meanwhile, breviscapine obviously reversed the down-regulation of XIAP expression induced by L-glutamate (up-regulation by 45.1% and 54.9% when compared with that of the vehicle-treated glutamate group). The results from the detection of confocal laser scanning microscopy with Fluo-3, a Ca2+ probe showed an obvious increase in intracellular Ca2+ during L-glutamate treatment; and breviscapine of 20 or 40 micromol x L(-1) significantly slowed down glutamate-induced Ca2+ influx and lowered the intracellular Ca2+ peak in hippocampal neurons (P < 0.01). These results suggest that neuroprotective effect of breviscapine against glutamate excitotoxicity was associated with inhibition of the accumulation of intracellular Ca2+ and up-regulation of XIAP expression in hippocampal neurons.