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目的用流式细胞技术（FACS）检测H2O2诱导的视网膜神经细胞凋亡以及17β-雌二醇（βE2）对细胞的保护作用。方法取新生24 h内的SD大鼠进行视网膜神经细胞的原代培养,待细胞培养4-5 d,经不同因素处理后,用MTT法检测细胞存活率,用FACS法检测细胞凋亡率。结果200μmol/L的H2O2能有效诱导视网膜神经细胞凋亡;低浓度的H2O2不能诱导细胞凋亡,但高浓度的H2O2诱导细胞凋亡的同时也导致了正常细胞比率的锐减;10μmol/L的βE2能有效对抗H2O2诱导的视网膜神经细胞凋亡;低浓度的βE2对细胞未表现出保护作用,高浓度的βE2对细胞反而表现出毒性作用。结论一定浓度的βE2在一定范围内能对抗H2O2诱导的视网膜神经细胞凋亡,表现对神经细胞保护的作用。

目的 观察二维三七桂利嗪胶囊对于急性脑缺血的影响。方珐ICR小鼠分别用420mg／kg、210mg／kg、105mg／kg的二维三七桂利嗪胶囊灌胃10d，观察断头后小鼠的喘息时间；SD大鼠分别用292mg／kg、146mg／kg、73mg／kg的二维三七桂利嗪胶囊灌胃10d，线栓法制备大鼠大脑中动脉栓塞模型，然后进行神经行为指标评分、脑梗死范围测定和病理学观察。结果二维三七桂利嗪胶囊各剂量组均能延长小鼠断头后的喘息时间，缩小局灶性脑缺血大鼠脑梗死范围，改善神经症状，减轻光镜下脑组织缺血性损伤。结论二维三七桂利嗪胶囊对急性脑缺血损伤具有保护作用。

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 （ALDH2） is a mitochondrial enzyme that metabolizes ethanol and toxic aldehydes such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal （4-HNE）. Using an unbiased proteomic search, we identified ALDH2 deficiency in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats （SHR-SP） as compared with spontaneously hypertensive rats （SHR）. We concluded the causative role of ALDH2 deficiency in neuronal injury as overexpression or activation of ALDH2 conferred neuroprotection by clearing 4-HNE in in vitro studies. Further, ALDH2-knockdown rats revealed the ab- sence of neuroprotective effects of PKCε. Moderate ethanol administration that is known to exert protection against stroke was shown to enhance the detoxification of 4-HNE, and to protect against ischemic cerebral injury through the PKCε-ALDH2 pathway. In SHR-SP, serum 4-HNE level was persistently elevated and correlated inversely with the lifespan. The role of 4-HNE in stroke in humans was also suggested by persistent elevation of its plasma levels for at least 6 months after stroke. Lastly, we observed that 21 of 1 242 subjects followed for 8 years who developed stroke had higher initial plasma 4-HNE levels than those who did not develop stroke. These findings suggest that activation of the ALDH2 pathway may serve as a useful index in the identification of stroke-prone subjects, and the ALDH2 pathway may be a potential target of therapeutic intervention in stroke.

Traumatic brain injury （TBI） is a major cause of disability and death in patients who experience a traumatic injury. Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the main factors contributing to secondary injury in TBI-associated brain damage. Evidence of compromised mitochondrial function after TBI has been, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of TBI are not well understood Silent information regulator family protein 1 （SlRT1）, a member of the NAD~-dependent protein deacetylases, has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective activities in animal models of various pathologies, including ischemic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage and several neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigated whether SIRT1 also exert neuroprotective effect post-TBI, and further explored the possible regulatory mechanisms involved in TBI pathogenesi6. A lateral fluid-percussion （LFP） brain injury model was established in rats to mimic the insults of TBI. The expression levels of SIRT1, p-p38, cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved easpase-3 were all markedly increased and reached a maximum at 12 h post-TBI. In addition, mitochondrial function was impaired, evidenced by the presence of swollen and irregularly shaped mitochondria with disrupted and poorly defined cristae, a relative increase of the percentage of neurons with low ALPm, the opening of mPTP, and a decrease in neuronal ATP content, especially at 12 h post- TBI. Pretreatment with the SIRT1 inhibitor sirtinol （10 mg/kg, ip） induced p-p38 activation, exacerbated mitochondrial damage, and promoted the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. In contrast, pretreatment with the p38 inhibitor SB203580 （200 pg/kg, ip） significantly attenuated post-TBI-induced expression of both cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 and rnitochondrial damage, whereas it had no effects on SlRT1 expression. Together, these results reveal that the 12 h after TBI may be a crucial time at which secondary damage occurs; the activation of SIRT1 expression and inhibition of the p38 MAPK pathway may play a neuroprotective role in preventing secondary damage post-TBI. For this reason, both SIRT1 and p38 are likely to be important targets to prevent secondary damage post-TBI.

Ischemia as a serious neurodegenerative disorder causes together with reperfusion injury many changes in nervous tissue. Most of the neuronal damage is caused by complex of biochemical reactions and substantial processes, such as protein agregation, reactions of free radicals, insufficient blood supply, glutamate excitotoxicity, and oxidative stress. The result of these processes can be apoptotic or necrotic cell death and it can lead to an irreversible damage. Therefore, neuroprotection and prevention of the neurodegeneration are highly important topics to study. There are several approaches to prevent the ischemic damage. Use of many modern therapeutical methods and the incorporation of several substances into the diet of patients is possible to stimulate the endogenous protective mechanisms and improve the life quality.

Recent clinical research has demonstrated that berry fruits can prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases and improve motor and cognitive functions. The berry fruits are also capable of modulating signaling pathways involved in inflammation, cell survival, neurotransmission and enhancing neuroplasticity. The neuroprotective effects of berry fruits on neurodegenerative diseases are related to phytochemicals such as anthocyanin, caffeic acid, catechin, quercetin, kaempferol and tannin. In this review, we made an attempt to clearly describe the beneficial effects of various types of berries as promising neuroprotective agents.

Aim： Our preliminary study shows that a bibenzyl compound isolated from Gastrodia elata, 2-[4-hydroxy-3-（4-hydroxybenzyl）benzyl]-4-（4-hydroxybenzyl）phenol （designated 20C）, protects PC12 cells against H202-induced injury. In this study we investigated whether 20C exerted neuroprotective action in a cell model of Parkinson＇s disease. Methods： A cell model of Parkinson＇s disease was established in PC12 cells by exposure to rotenone （4 pmol/L） for 48 h. Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed, and intracellular ROS level and the mitochondrial membrane potential （MMP） were detected. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3, and oxidative stress-related proteins Nrf2, HO-1 and NQ01 were examined using Western blotting. The mRNA levels of HO-1 and NQ01 were determined with RT-PCR. The nuclear translocation of Nrf2 was observed with immunofluorescence staining. Results： Treatment with rotenone significantly increased the number of apoptotic cells, accompanied by marked increases in the Bax/ Bcl-2 ratio, cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation. Rotenone also increased ROS accumulation, reduced MMP, and increased the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 as well as the mRNA and protein levels of the Nrf2 downstream target genes HO-1 and NQ01 in PC12 cells. Co-treatment with 20C （0.01-1 pmol/L） dose-dependently attenuated rotenone-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in PC12 cells. Nrf2 knockdown by siRNA partially reversed the protective effects of 20C in rotenone-treated PC12 cells. Conclusion： The bibenzyl compound 20C protects PC12 cells from rotenone-induced apoptosis, at least in part, via activation of the Nrf2/ARE/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides have protective effects against apoptosis in neurons exposed to ischemia/reperfusion injury, but the mechanisms are unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the effects of ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides against oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis. Hydrogen peroxide（H_2O_2） was used to induce apoptosis in cultured cerebellar granule cells. In these cells, ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides remarkably suppressed H_2O_2-induced apoptosis, decreased expression of caspase-3, Bax and Bim and increased that of Bcl-2. These findings suggested that ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides regulate expression of apoptosis-associated proteins, inhibit oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis and, therefore, have significant neuroprotective effects.

More and more attention in the field of drug discovery has been focused on the neuroprotection of natural compounds from traditional medicinal herbs. Cerebral ischemia is a complex pathological process involving a series of mechanisms, and a framework for the development of neuroprotectants from traditional herb medicine is a promising treatment for cerebral ischemia. Natural compounds with the effects of anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, calcium antagonization, anti-apoptosis, and neurofunctional regulation exhibit preventive or therapeutic effects on experimental ischemic brain injury. According to the pharmacological mechanisms underlying neu- roprotection, we evaluated natural products from traditional medicinal herbs that exhibit protective effects on ischemic brain injury and characterized the promising targets.

Erythropoietin （Epo） is a fundamental hormone in the regulation of hematopoiesis, and other secondary roles mediated by the binding of the hormone to its specific receptor （EpoR）, which leads to an activation of key signaling pathways that induce an increase in cell differentiation, apoptosis control and neuroprotection. It has been suggested that their ftmction depends on final conformation of glycosylations, related with affinity to the receptor and its half-life. The presence of EpoR has been reported in different tissues including central nervous system, where it has been demonstrated to exert a neuroprotective function against oxidative stress conditions, such as ischemic injury and neurodegenerative diseases. There is also evidence of an increase in EpoR expression in brain cell lysates of Alzheimer＇s patients with respect to healthy patients. These results are related with extensive in vitro experimental data of neuroprotection obtained from cell lines, primary cell cultures and hippocampal slices. Additionally, this data is correlated with in vivo experiments （water maze test） in mouse models of Alzheimer＇s disease where Epo treatment improved cognitive function. These stud- ies support the idea that receptor activation induces a neuroprotective effect in neurodegenerative disorders including dementias, and especially Alzheimer＇s disease. Taken together, available evidence suggests that Epo appears to be a central element for EpoR activation and neuroprotective properties in the central nervous system. In this review, we will describe the mechanisms associated with neuroprotection and its relation with the activation of EpoR in order with identify new targets to develop pharmacological strategies.