Paraquat (PQ), a cationic nonselective bipyridyl herbicide, has been used as neurotoxicant to modulate Parkinson's disease in laboratory settings. Other compounds like rotenone (ROT), a pesticide, and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP(+)) have been widely used as neurotoxicants. We compared the toxicity of these three neurotoxicants using differentiated dopaminergic SH-SY5Y human cells, aimi...

Thrombopoietin (TPO) and its receptor (TPOR) are expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). Although TPO shares significant homology with various neurotrophins, recent data indicate a proapoptotic function of TPO in the CNS. In this study, TPO concentrations were analyzed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of neonates. Human neuroblastoma-derived SH-SY5Y cells were established to elucidate th...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease characterized by the formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) or tau protein aggregates, the hallmark of cognitive decline. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical factors in neurogenesis and synaptic functions in the central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies have reported alterations in miRNA expression in patients with AD. How...

Oxygen deprivation during ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke results in ATP depletion, loss of ion homeostasis, membrane depolarization, and excitotoxicity. Pharmacologic restoration of cellular energy supply may offer a promising concept to reduce hypoxic cell injury. In this study, we investigated whether carbimazole, a thionamide used to treat hyperthyroidism, reduces neuronal cell damage in oxy...

The aims of this study are to determine the chemical composition of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. and Coriandrum sativum L. essential oils, to evaluate their cytotoxic effects in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, to investigate whether an alteration of adenylate cyclase 1 (ADCY1) and of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) expression can take part in the molecular mechanisms of the essen...

The vitamin A metabolite, all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), plays an important role in neuronal development, including neurite outgrowth. However, the genes that lie downstream of atRA and its receptors in neuronal cells are largely unknown. By using the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, we have identified an atRA-responsive gene (RAINB1: retinoic acid inducible in neuroblastoma cells) that...

Auxiliary Hyperkinetic beta subunit of K+ channels: regulation of firing properties and K+ currents in Drosophila neurons. Molecular analysis and heterologous expression have shown that K+ channel beta subunits regulate the properties of the pore-forming alpha subunits, although how they influence neuronal K+ currents and excitability remains to be explored. We studied cultured Drosophila "gian...

Doppel (Dpl) is a prion (PrP)-like protein due to the structural and biochemical similarities; however, the natural functions of Dpl and PrP remain unclear. In this study, a 531-bp human PRND gene sequence encoding Dpl protein was amplified from human peripheral blood leucocytes. Full-length and various truncated human Dpl and PrP proteins were expressed and purified from Escherichia coli. Supp...

Oxidative stress and synapse dysfunction are the major neurodegenerative damage correlated to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have found that Brazilian green propolis (propolis) improves the cognitive functions of mild cognitive impairment patients living at high altitude; however, mechanism underlying the effects of propolis is unknown. In the present study, we investigate...

The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 plays important roles in neuronal migration and survival, neuritogenesis and synaptogenesis. L1 has also been found in tumors of different origins, with levels of L1 expression correlating positively with the metastatic potential of tumors. To select antibodies targeting the varied functions of L1, we screened the Tomlinson library of recombinant human antib...