Expression of Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1), a secreted protein that negatively modulates the Wnt pathway, was induced in the hippocampus of gerbils and rats subjected to transient global cerebral ischemia as well as in cultured cortical neurons challenged with an excitotoxic pulse. In ischemic animals, the temporal and regional pattern of Dkk-1 expression correlated with the profile of neuronal death, as...

Transient focal cerebral ischemia leads to extensive neuronal damage in cerebral cortex and striatum. Normal functioning of glutamate transporters clears the synaptically released glutamate to prevent excitotoxic neuronal death. This study evaluated the functional role of the glial (GLT-1) and neuronal (EAAC1) glutamate transporters in mediating ischemic neuronal damage after transient middle c...

Insulin is a cytokine which promotes cell growth. Recently, a few published reports on insulin in different cell lines support the antiapoptotic effect of insulin. But the reports fail to explain the role of insulin in modulating glutamate-mediated neuronal cell death through excitotoxicity. Thus, we examined the neuroprotective effect of insulin on glutamate-induced toxicity on differentiated ...

The study was performed to investigate the possible neuroprotective role of palmatine, a protoberberine alkaloid against aluminum-induced aberration in neurotransmitter levels, excitotoxicity, neuronal inflammation, damage, and degeneration. 100 mg/kg aluminum chloride served as inducing agent administered orally male Wistar albino rats for 42 consecutive days. Animals were divided into four gr...

In the present study, we synthesized a series of novel 7-methoxy-N-(substituted phenyl)benzofuran-2-carboxamide derivatives in moderate to good yields and evaluated their neuroprotective and antioxidant activities using primary cultured rat cortical neuronal cells and in vitro cell-free bioassays. Based on our primary screening data with eighteen synthesized derivatives, nine compounds (1a, 1c,...

objective:coriandrum sativum (c. sativum) as a medicinal plant has been pointed to have analgesic, hypnotic and anti-oxidant effects. in the current study, a possible preventive effect of the hydro-alcoholic extract of the plant on neuronal damages was examined in pentylenetetrazole (ptz) rat model of seizure.materials and methods: forty male rats were divided into five main groups and treated ...

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is activated in brain cells after various insults, including cerebral ischemia and epileptic seizures. Although cell culture studies have suggested that the activation of NF-kappaB can prevent neuronal apoptosis, the role of this transcription factor in neuronal injury in vivo is unclear, and the specific kappaB subunits involved are unknown. We now report that...

In brain ischemia, gating of postsynaptic glutamate receptors and other membrane channels triggers intracellular Ca2+ overload and cell death. In excitotoxic settings, the initial Ca2+ influx through glutamate receptors is followed by a second uncontrolled Ca2+ increase that leads to neuronal demise. Here we report that the major plasma membrane Ca2+ extruding system, the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NC...