Molecular mechanism of panaxydol on promoting axonal growth in PC12 cells.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes axonal growth in PC12 cells primarily by regulating the RTK-RAS-MEK-ERK pathway. Panaxydol, a polyacetylene isolated from Panax notoginseng, can mimic the effects of NGF. Panaxydol promotes neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, but its molecular mechanism remains unclear.

Atg5-independent autophagy regulates mitochondrial clearance and is essential for iPSC reprogramming.

Successful generation of induced pluripotent stem cells entails a major metabolic switch from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis during the reprogramming process. The mechanism of this metabolic reprogramming, however, remains elusive. Here, our results suggest that an Atg5-independent autophagic process mediates mitochondrial clearance, a characteristic event involved in the metabolic switch.

Panaxydol and panaxynol protect cultured cortical neurons against Abeta25-35-induced toxicity.

Amyloid beta protein (Abeta), the central constituent of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is known to exert toxic effects on cultured neurons. In the present study, the protective effect of panaxydol (PND) and panaxynol (PNN) on Abeta25-35-induced neuronal apoptosis and potential mechanisms were investigated in primary cultured rat cortical neurons. Pretreatment of the cells with PND or PNN prior to 10 microM Abeta25-35 exposure resulted significantly in elevation of cell survival determined by MTT assay, TUNEL/Hoechst staining and western blot.

Antiproliferative effect of panaxynol on RASMCs via inhibition of ERK1/2 and CREB.

Panaxynol (PNN) occurs in many foods such as carrot, celery, and several reports have shown that it has neuritogenic and neuroprotective properties. In this study, we have investigated the antiproliferative effect and the mechanism of PNN on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferation of rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (RASMCs). PNN significantly inhibited PDGF-BB-induced proliferation and DNA synthesis of RASMCs in a concentration-dependent manner.

Methods for isolating highly-enriched embryonic spinal cord neurons: a comparison between enzymatic and mechanical dissociations.

Spinal cord neuronal culture is a useful system to study normal and abnormal functions of the spinal cord. For many bioassays, obtaining large quantities of highly purified spinal cord neurons is required. However, technical difficulties exist in obtaining these cells reliably and consistently.

Protective effect of panaxydol and panaxynol on sodium nitroprusside-induced apoptosis in cortical neurons.

An excess of the free radical nitric oxide (NO) is viewed as a deleterious factor involved in various CNS disorders. The protective effect of panaxydol (PND) and panaxynol (PNN) on sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced neuronal apoptosis and potential mechanism were investigated in primary cultured rat cortical neurons. Pretreatment of the cells with PND or PNN for 24 h following 1mM SNP, an exogenous NO donor, exposure for 1h, resulted significantly in reduction of cell death induced by SNP determined by MTT assay, LDH release and Hoechst staining.

Neuroprotective effect of the stearic acid against oxidative stress via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway.

Stearic acid is a long-chain saturated fatty acid consisting of 18 carbon atoms without double bonds. In the present study, we reported the neuroprotective effects and mechanism of stearic acid on cortical or hippocampal slices insulted by oxygen-glucose deprivation, NMDA or hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in vitro. Different types of models of brain slice injury in vitro were developed by 10 min of oxygen/glucose deprivation, 0.

Panaxynol induces neurite outgrowth in PC12D cells via cAMP- and MAP kinase-dependent mechanisms.

Panaxynol, a polyacetylene ((3R)-heptadeca-1,9-diene-4,6-diyn-3-ol; syn. falcarinol), was isolated from the lipophilic fractions of Panax notoginseng, a Chinese traditional medicinal plant. In the present study, we reported the neurotrophic effects of panaxynol on PC12D cells and mechanism involved in neurite outgrowth of the cells.

In vitro anti-coxsackievirus B(3) effect of ethyl acetate extract of Tian-hua-fen.

Aim: To investigation the anti-coxsackievirus B(3) (CVB(3m)) effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Tian-hua-fen on HeLa cells infected with CVB(3m).

Methods: HeLa cells were infected with CVB(3m) and the cytopathic effects (CPE) were observed through light microscope and crystal violet staining on 96-well plate and A(600) was detected using spectrophotometer. The protective effect of the extract to HeLa cells and the mechanism of the effect were also evaluated through the change of CPE and value of A(600).