Neuroprotective Effect of Fucoidan against N-methyl-D-aspartate-Induced Excitotoxicity in Rat Hippocampus.

Author: Young Joon HA ¹ ; Youn Sub KIM ; Hye Jung LEE ; Jin Hee SEO ; Yun Hee SUNG ; Sung Eun KIM ; Mal Soon SHIN ; Chang Ju KIM
Author Information

1. Department of Anatomy-Meridian, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyungwon University, Sungnam 461-701, Korea.
Publication Type:Original Article
Keywords: fucoidan; N-methyl-D-aspartate; hippocampus; patch clamp; slice culture
MeSH: Animals; Cell Death; D-Aspartic Acid; Hippocampus; N-Methylaspartate; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Polymers; Polysaccharides; Rats; Seaweed
From:Experimental Neurobiology 2009;18(2):123-128
CountryRepublic of Korea
Language:English
Abstract: Fucoidan, a sulfated polyanionic polymer of L-fucose, is obtained from brown marine macroalgae. In the present study, neuroprotective effect of fucoidan against N-methyl- D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxicity in the hippocampus was investigated. The patch clamp study revealed that fucoidan significantly inhibited NMDA receptor-activated ion current in the acutely dissociated hippocampal CA1 neurons. In an organotypic hippocampal slice culture, fucoidan inhibited NMDA-induced neuronal cell death in a dose-dependent manner. The present study showed that fucoidan possesses a neuroprotective effect against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity, and that the suppressive effect of fucoidan on the NMDA-induced ion current can be suggested as being the underlying neuroprotective mechanism of fucoidan.