Neurotropin inhibits axonal transport in cultured mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons.

Axonal transport is a basic neuronal cell function and important for the supply of materials that maintain neuronal cells, and any increase or decrease in axonal transport expresses the state of neurons. Neurotropin is an analgesic agent commonly used for the treatment of chronic pain, but its mechanism of action remains not fully understood. The effects of neurotropin have been investigated in various animal models of nerve injury and chronic pain.

Effect of inhibition of superoxide dismutase on motor neurons during growth: comparison of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated neurofilament-containing spinal neurons by histogram distribution.

We reported recently that non-phosphorylated neurofilaments (NF)-positive neurons were more sensitive to the growth inhibitory effects of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) than phosphorylated NF-positive neurons. The findings suggested that non-phosphorylated NF-positive neurons, presumed to represent spinal motor neurons, are more vulnerable to oxidative stress than other neurons, and thus explain in part the selective degeneration of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The present investigation is an extension to our previous study and examined the neurite growth process in the presence of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), an SOD1 inhibitor.

Inhibition of superoxide dismutase selectively suppresses growth of rat spinal motor neurons: comparison with phosphorylated neurofilament-containing spinal neurons.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by selective degeneration of motor neurons. The reason why only motor neurons are targeted is unknown. Since ALS has been linked to mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), oxidative stress is regarded as a major cause of ALS.

Vesicle disruption, plasma membrane bleb formation, and acute cell death caused by illumination with blue light in acridine orange-loaded malignant melanoma cells.

Acridine orange (AO), a weakly basic fluorescent dye, is permeable to plasma and vesicle membranes and preferentially remains in intracellular acidic regions. Using fluorescence microscopy, we observed dynamic changes in AO-loaded cultured malignant melanoma cells during illumination with blue light. Immediately after the start of the illumination, the successive disruption of vesicles was observed as a flash of fluorescence, and shortly after that, blebs were formed on the plasma membrane.

Glutamate and amyloid beta-protein rapidly inhibit fast axonal transport in cultured rat hippocampal neurons by different mechanisms.

Impairment of axonal transport leads to neurodegeneration and synapse loss. Glutamate and amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) have critical roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we show that both agents rapidly inhibit fast axonal transport in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.