Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.antagonizes H_2O_2-induced rat osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 apoptosis by inhibiting expressions of caspases 3,6,7,and 9

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.(EuO),also known as Duzhong,native to China,has been reported to have antioxidative function,but its cellular mechanism is not fully examined yet.We investigated inhibitory effects of EuO leaf ethanol extracts on H2O2-induced apoptosis in rat osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and underlying mechanisms.Locally-grown Duzhong leaves were extracted with ethanol.MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with EuO (6.25,12.5,25,50,and 100 μg/ml) for 24 h,and then H2O2 (800 μmol/L) for an additional 24 h.Cell survival rate,percentage of apoptosis,and expressions of caspases 3,6,7,and 9 were examined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay,microscopic analysis,Western blotting,and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).The final EuO leaf ethanol extract powder was detected to contain caffeotannic acid at 58 mg/g and geniposide at 3.45 mg/g by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).EuO remarkably restrained cell oxidative damage and increased cell survival rate in a dose-dependent manner: 0 μg/ml,0.21;6.25 μg/ml,0.28;12.5 μg/ml,0.31;25 μg/ml,0.48;50 μg/ml,0.54;and 100 μg/ml,0.66 (P<0.05),with the half-effective concentration being around 25 μg/ml.MTT results were confirmed by microscopic analysis.Western blotting and RT-PCR analyses showed that the expressions of caspases 3,6,7,and 9 were significantly decreased in the EuO-treated cells compared with the control (EuOand H2O2-free) (P<0.05),with the half-effective concentration of EuO ranging from 12.5 to 25 μg/ml.We conclude that the ethanol-extracted EuO leaf extracts promoted the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells,and suppressed the H2O2-induced apoptosis in a rat MC3T3-E1 osteogenic cell model,likely due to the inhibition of caspases’ activities.The results indicate that EuO is a potent antioxidant,which may contribute to its many cellular protective functions,including the promotion of bone growth.

BDNF–TrkB signaling pathway is involved in pentylenetetrazoleevoked progression of epileptiform activity in hippocampal neurons in anesthetized rats

Pentylenetetrazole（PTZ）is a widely-used convulsant used in studies of epilepsy;its subcutaneous injection generates an animal model with stable seizures.Here,we compared the ability of PTZ via the intravenous and subcutaneous routes to evoke progressive epileptiform activity in the hippocampal CA1 neurons of anesthetized rats.The involvement of the BDNF-TrkB pathway was then investigated.When PTZ was given intravenously,it induced epileptiform bursting activity at a short latency in a dose-dependent manner.However,when PTZ was given subcutaneously,it induced a slowly-developing pattern of epileptogenesis;first,generating multiple population-spike peaks,then spontaneous interictal discharge-like spike,leading to the final ictal discharge-like,highly synchronized bursting firing in the CA1 pyramidal layer of the hippocampus.K252a,a TrkB receptor antagonist,when given by intracerebroventricular injection,significantly reduced the probability of multiple population spike peaks induced by subcutaneous injection of PTZ,delayed the latency of spontaneous spikes,and reduced the burst frequency.Our results indicate that PTZ induces a progressive change of neuronal epileptiform activity in the hippocampus,and the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway is mainly involved in the early phases of epileptogenesis,but not the synchronized neuronal burst activity associated with epileptic seizure in the PTZ animal model.These results provide basic insights into the changing pattern of hippocampal neuronal activity during the development of the PTZ seizure model,and establish an in vivo seizure model useful for future electrophysiological studies of epilepsy.