Attenuation of scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction by obovatol.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia in the elderly people. The disease is pathologically characterized by extracellular deposition of beta-amyloid peptide (Aß), cholinergic neurodegeneration and elevation of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity in the affected regions. In this study, we investigated the effects of obovatol on memory dysfunction, which was caused by scopolamine. Obovatol (0.2, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg for 7 day) attenuated scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced amnesia in a dose-dependent manner, as revealed by the Morris water maze test and step-through passive avoidance test. Mechanism studies exhibited that obovatol dose-dependently alleviated scopolamine-induced increase in Aß generation and ß-secretase activity in the cortex and hippocampus. Obovatol also attenuated scopolamine-induced rise in AChE activity in the cortex and hippocampus. Obovatol might rescue scopolamine-mediated impaired learning and memory function by attenuating Aß accumulation and stabilizing cholinergic neurotransmission, which suggests that the natural compound could be a useful agent for the prevention of the development or progression of AD neurodegeneration.

4-O-methylhonokiol prevents memory impairment in the Tg2576 transgenic mice model of Alzheimer's disease via regulation of ß-secretase activity.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is characterized by memory deficits and deposition of amyloid-ß (Aß) in the brain. It has been known that neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are critical factors in the development of AD. 4-O-methylhonokiol, an extract from Magnolia officinalis, is known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. Thus, we investigated the properties of 4-O-methylhonokiol against progression and development of AD in Tg2576 mice. Tg2576 mice models show memory impairment and AD-like pathological features including Aß deposition. Oral administration of 4-O-methylhonokiol through drinking water (1 mg/kg in 0.0002% Tween 80) for 12 weeks not only prevented memory impairment but also inhibited Aß deposition. In addition, 4-O-methylhonokiol decreased ß-secretase activity, oxidative lipid and protein damage levels, activation of astrocytes and microglia cells, and generation of IL-1ß and TNF-α with increase of glutathione level in the brain. Our results showed that 4-O-methylhonokiol effectively prevented memory impairment by down-regulating ß-secretase activity through inhibition of oxidative stress and neuroinflammatory responses in Tg2576 transgenic mice.

Therapeutic applications of compounds in the Magnolia family.

The bark and/or seed cones of the Magnolia tree have been used in traditional herbal medicines in Korea, China and Japan. Bioactive ingredients such as magnolol, honokiol, 4-O-methylhonokiol and obovatol have received great attention, judging by the large number of investigators who have studied their pharmacological effects for the treatment of various diseases. Recently, many investigators reported the anti-cancer, anti-stress, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects as well as toxicities and pharmacokinetics data, however, the mechanisms underlying these pharmacological activities are not clear. The aim of this study was to review a variety of experimental and clinical reports and, describe the effectiveness, toxicities and pharmacokinetics, and possible mechanisms of Magnolia and/or its constituents.

Estrogen receptor independent neurotoxic mechanism of bisphenol A, an environmental estrogen.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, has been shown to cause developmental toxicity and carcinogenic effects. BPA may have physiological activity through estrogen receptor (ER) -alpha and -beta, which are expressed in the central nervous system. We previously found that exposure of BPA to immature mice resulted in behavioral alternation, suggesting that overexposure of BPA could be neurotoxic. In this study, we further investigated the molecular neurotoxic mechanisms of BPA. BPA increased vulnerability (decrease of cell viability and differentiation, and increase of apoptotic cell death) of undifferentiated PC12 cells and cortical neuronal cells isolated from gestation 18 day rat embryos in a concentration-dependent manner (more than 50 microM). The ER antagonists, ICI 182,780, and tamoxifen, did not block these effects. The cell vulnerability against BPA was not significantly different in the PC12 cells overexpressing ER-alpha and ER-beta compared with PC12 cells expressing vector alone. In addition, there was no difference observed between BPA and 17-beta estradiol, a well-known agonist of ER receptor in the induction of neurotoxic responses. Further study of the mechanism showed that BPA significantly activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) but inhibited anti-apoptotic nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) activation. In addition, ERK-specific inhibitor, PD 98,059, reversed BPA-induced cell death and restored NF-kappaB activity. This study demonstrated that exposure to BPA can cause neuronal cell death which may eventually be related with behavioral alternation in vivo. However, this neurotoxic effect may not be directly mediated through an ER receptor, as an ERK/NF-kappaB pathway may be more closely involved in BPA-induced neuronal toxicity.

Neuronal differentiation of embryonic midbrain cells by upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma via the JNK-dependent pathway.

Our previous study showed that the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) agonist 15-deoxy-PGJ(2) has the promoting ability to differentiate neuronal PC12 cells. To expand our study, the effect of 15-deoxy-PGJ(2) on the differentiation of embryonic midbrain cells into dopaminergic neuronal cells was investigated in this study. The relationship between cell differentiation with activation of PPAR-gamma and the possible signal pathway were also investigated. 15-Deoxy-PGJ(2) increased neurite extension, a typical characteristic of the differentiation of embryonic midbrain cells isolated from 12-day rat embryos in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of differentiation markers, neurofilament, tyrosine hydroxylase, and nestin, was also increased by the treatment of 15-deoxy-PGJ(2). Consistent with the increasing effect on cell differentiation, 15-deoxy-PGJ(2) increased the expression and transcriptional activity of PPAR-gamma in cultured embryonic midbrain cells. In addition, the expression of PPAR-gamma and NeuN in the differentiated neuron of fetus (17 days) and adult rat brain was co-localized. Furthermore, treatment of PPAR-gamma antagonist bisphenol A diglycidyl ether blocked 15-deoxy-PGJ(2)-induced neuronal differentiation of embryonic midbrain cells and expression of PPAR-gamma. To elucidate the possible signal pathway, the activation of mitogenic-activated protein (MAP) kinase family was determined. 15-Deoxy-PGJ(2) (0.5 microM) increased activation of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 kinase but not extra-signal response kinase (ERK). In addition, NGF (50 ng/ml) further increased the 15-deoxy-PGJ(2)-induced JNK activation. Moreover, pretreatment of specific inhibitor of JNK SP600125 blocked the 15-deoxy-PGJ(2)-induced JNK activation. This inhibition correlated well with the inhibition of neurite extension and expression of PPAR-gamma induced by 15-deoxy-PGJ(2). The present results therefore indicate that 15-deoxy-PGJ(2) stimulates differentiation of embryonic midbrain cells into dopaminergic neuronal cells, and its effect may be PPAR-gamma and JNK signal pathway dependent.

Inhibitory effects of ochratoxin A on nerve growth factor-induced neurite extension through downregulation of p38 MAP kinase and AP-1 activation in cultured pheochromocytoma cells.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) induces microcephaly in animals and in vitro cultured whole embryos. Inhibition of neuronal cell differentiation was proposed as underlying mechanisms responsible for OTA-induced microcephaly. Previously it was found that OTA inhibited differentiation of cultured rat embryonic midbrain cells into neurons. In this study, the influence of OTA on differentiation in PC-12 cells, a widely accepted model cells for study of neuronal differentiation was examined. Cell differentiation was assessed by measurement of neurite extension and quantified by the number of neurites extended. OTA decreased serum and nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neurite extension in a concentration-dependent manner. Since MAP kinase and transcription factors have been implicated in cell differentiation of neuronal cells, and our previous study demonstrated that p38 MAP kinase and AP-1 are activated during PC 12 cell differentiation, the effect of OTA on NGF-induced p38 MAP kinase and transcription factor activation was examined. Co-treatment of OTA with NGF resulted in inhibition of NGF-induced p38 MAP kinase and AP-1 activation. Moreover, SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase blocked p38 MAP kinase and AP-1 activation accompanied by further inhibition of neurite extension. The present study shows that OTA inhibited cell differentiation of PC-12 cells, and this inhibitory effect may be related to inhibition of the activation of the p38 MAP kinase in conjunction with transcription factors AP-1. This finding suggests that the inhibitory effect on neuronal cell differentiation by OTA might be a mechanism responsible for OTA-induced microcephaly.