The purpose of this investigation was to re-evaluate the neurotrophic effect of GPI-1046 on neurite outgrowth in vitro. GPI-1046 was synthesized and identified with mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and elemental analysis. Chicken dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) were removed and divided into three groups: (1) The DRGs were cultured in DMEM containing different concentrations of GPI-1046; (2) The DRGs were cultured in DMEM containing nerve growth factor (NGF) alone at 0.8 and 8 ng/mL, respectively; (3) The DRGs were cultured in DMEM containing both different concentrations of GPI-1046 and NGF at 0.8 ng/mL. The results showed that GPI-1046 alone could not stimulate chicken DRG neurite outgrowth; however, GPI-1046 stimulated DRG neurite outgrowth only in the presence of NGF at low concentration in the culture medium.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Chickens ; Ganglia, Spinal ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Nerve Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Neurites ; drug effects ; Pyrrolidines ; pharmacology

Neuronal PC12 cells induced by nerve growth factor (NGF) have been considered to be postmitotic and lack the ability to divide. However, in this study, we not only detected DNA synthesis but also observed cell division in some morphologically differentiated neuronal PC12 cells bearing long neurites. More interestingly, in addition to the division of perikaryon, the neurites located on the division site of the cell membrane also divided into two parts and were allocated to the two daughter cells. These results demonstrate that the morphologically differentiated neuronal PC12 cells still retain the ability to divide. This is the first report that neuronal PC12 cells as well as their neurites can divide.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; DNA Replication ; drug effects ; physiology ; Nerve Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Neurites ; drug effects ; Neurons ; cytology ; PC12 Cells ; Rats

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is a bioactive lipid generated by phospholipase A2-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine. In the present study, we demonstrate that LPC stimulates phospholipase D2 (PLD2) activity in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Serum deprivation induced cell death of PC12 cells, as demonstrated by decreased viability, DNA fragmentation, and increased sub-G1 fraction of cell cycle. LPC treatment protected PC12 cells partially from the cell death and induced neurite outgrowth of the cells. Overexpression of PLD2 drastically enhanced the LPC-induced inhibition of apoptosis and neuritogenesis. Pretreatment of the cells with 1-butanol, a PLD inhibitor, completely abrogated the LPC-induced inhibition of apoptosis and neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells overexpressing PLD2. These results indicate that LPC possesses the neurotrophic effects, such as anti-apoptosis and neurite outgrowth, through activation of PLD2.
Starvation ; Rats ; Phospholipase D/antagonists & inhibitors/*metabolism ; PC12 Cells ; Neurites/*drug effects ; Lysophosphatidylcholines/*pharmacology ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Apoptosis/*drug effects ; Animals

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cerebral Cortex ; cytology ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Neurites ; drug effects ; Neurons ; cytology ; drug effects ; Organometallic Compounds ; toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo search for low-molecular-weight neuritogenic compounds from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

METHODAn extract library of TCM was prepared. Targeted isolation guided by biological screening led to the discovery of compound 1, and its structure was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic methods and comparison of spectroscopic data with these reported from the literature.

RESULTA neuritogenic compound 1, 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-22E, 24R-5alpha, 8alpha-epidioxyergosta-6, 22-diene, was isolated and identified from the methanol extract of T. fuciformis. This compound showed a significant neuritogenic activity against PC12 cells at 3 micromol x L(-1)).

CONCLUSIONMethonal extract of T. fuciformis and targeted compound 1 both showed significant neuritogenic activity against PC12 cells. These results suggested that the extract and compound 1 might be used to prevent and treat neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease.

Animals ; Basidiomycota ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Nerve Growth Factor ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Neurites ; drug effects ; PC12 Cells ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo study the role of adaptor protein Dok6 in neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells.

METHODSSeries of fusion clones were constructed by fusing different domains of Dok6 into mutant TrkC/Y516F. These constructs were transiently transfected into PC12 cells separately and the expression levels of fusion proteins were detected by Western blot. Neurite outgrowth in these PC12 cells was tested after stimulation of NT-3.

RESULTSEach fusion clone was stably expressed in PC12 cells. The fusion clones that fused both TrkC/Y516F-Dok6 (PTB+C) and TrkC/Y516F-Dok6C rescued the loss of neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells resulting from the mutation in tyrosine 516, while fusion clones that fused with single TrkC/Y516F-Dok6PTB did not show such effect.

CONCLUSIONDok6 can promote neurite outgrowth induced by NT-3 stimulation through its C-terminal in TrkC-positive PC12 cells.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Neurites ; drug effects ; physiology ; Neurotrophin 3 ; pharmacology ; PC12 Cells ; Rats ; Receptor, trkC ; metabolism ; Transfection

The present study was designed to investigate the role of quercetin on neurite growth in N1E-115 cells and the underlying mechanisms. Quercetin was evaluated for its effects on cell numbers of neurites, neurite length, intracellular cAMP content, and Gap-43 expression in N1E-115 cells in vitro by use of microscopy, LANCE(tm) cAMP 384 kit, and Western blot analysis, respectively. Our results showed that quercetin could increase the neurite length in a concentration-dependent manner, but had no effect on the numbers of cells. Quercetin significantly increased the expression of cellular cAMP in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The Gap-43 expression was up-regulated in a time-dependent manner. In conclusion, quercetin could promote neurite growth through increasing the intracellular cAMP level and Gap-43 expression.
Cell Line ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; GAP-43 Protein ; metabolism ; Nerve Regeneration ; Neurites ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Quercetin ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of selenium on cultured newborn rat's hippocampus neurons survival and outgrowth development.

METHODSUsing the technique of primary culture of hippocampal neurons of newborn rat. The different dose of Se (62.5 microgram/L, 125.0 microgram/L, 182.5 microgram/L) were added into the medium at same time. We not only investigated the number of survival of neurons on 1 - 14 d and 1d to 10 d in with and without serum containing-Se medium, but also observed the length outgrowth of the neurite at 16 h, 24 h, 36 h, 48 h during culture.

RESULTSSelenium could obviously enhance the outgrowth of early processed in 10% fetal serum medium and average length of neurite outgrowth is 15 - 20 micrometer more longer than control groups (P < 0.01) and selenium could also increase the livability of neurons and prolong survival time of cultured neurons in serum-free medium.

CONCLUSIONSSelenium may play a very important role for early processed growth and development of hippocampal neurons.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Female ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; Male ; Neurites ; drug effects ; Neurons ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Selenium ; pharmacology

To investigate the potential ability of the nitrite to induce neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells, cultured PC12 cells planted on matrigel in the presence or absence of sodium nitrite were employed as model, nerve growth factor (NGF) served as a positive control. After 48 h, sodium nitrite enhanced cell viability and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion. Same as the effect of NGF, sodium nitrite (1.4 mmol x L(-1)) treated cultures contained a greater proportion of cells bearing neurites and neurites were much longer than those found in negative control cultures (P < 0.05). Compared with the negative control, sodium nitrite (1.4 mmol x L(-1)) also upregulated the expression of VEGF mRNA (P < 0.05) and hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) or VEGF protein expression (P < 0.05) in cultures of PC12 cells. On the other hand, these effects of the sodium nitrite were likely mediated by HIF-1alpha, since their effects were antagonized by addition of HIF-1alpha inhibitor YC-1. Taken together, these results suggest that low doses of sodium nitrite could induce neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells by activating the HIF-1alpha-VEGF pathway.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Food Preservatives ; pharmacology ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neurites ; drug effects ; PC12 Cells ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Sodium Nitrite ; pharmacology ; Up-Regulation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; secretion

One common feature of glaucoma, optic neuritis and some other optic nerve diseases is sustained and irreversible apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Ginkgolide B is believed to protect neurons in brain and contribute to neurite outgrowth and synapse formation. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGB761) and ginkgolide B on axonal growth of RCGs. Retina explants were cultured in three-dimensional tissue culture system, and the number and length of neurites were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed to confirm that the neurite observed was axon of RGCs. TUNEL and activated caspase-3 staining were also applied to observe RGCs apoptosis. The result shows that neurites of RGCs treated with EGB761 or ginkgolide B were more and longer than those in control. The neurite is proved to be the axon of RGCs by immunostaining. Furthermore, compared with control group, RGCs treated with ginkgolide B showed decreased cellular apoptosis and inhibited caspase-3 activation. These results suggest ginkgolide B can promote RGCs axon growth by protecting RGCs against apoptosis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Axons ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Ginkgolides ; pharmacology ; Lactones ; pharmacology ; Neurites ; drug effects ; Organ Culture Techniques ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Retina ; Retinal Ganglion Cells ; cytology ; drug effects