• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2006

Background: Testosterone is reported to have neuroprotective effect in various neurological diseases. Recently, the mechanism involved in nitric oxide (NO)-mediated motor neuron death is under extensive investigation. The Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mutations has been implicated in selective motor neuron death of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and it is said to play an important role in NO-mediated motor neuron death. However, neuroprotective effect of testosterone on motor neuron exposed to NO has rarely been studied. Methods: Motor neuron-neuroblastoma hybrid cells expressing wild-type or mutant (G93A or A4V) SOD gene were treated with $200{\mu}M$ S-nitrosoglutathione. After 24 hr, cell viability was measured by MTT assay. To see the neuroprotective effect of testosterone, pretreatment with 1 nM testosterone was done 1 hr before S-nitroglutathione treatment. To study the mechanism of protective effect, $20{\mu}M$ flutamide (androgen receptor antagonist) was also pretreated with testosterone 1 hr before S-nitroglutathione treatment. Results: S-nitrosoglutathione showed significant neurotoxic effect in all three cell lines. Percentage of cell death was somewhat different in each cell line. 1 nM testosterone showed neuroprotective effect in G93A and wild-type cell line. In A4V cell line, testosterone did not showed neuroprotective effect. The neuroprotective effect of testosterone was reversed by $20{\mu}M$ flutamide. Conclusions: These results indicate that testosterone induces neuroprotection in NO-mediated motor neuron death directly through the androgen receptor. This neuroprotective effect of testosterone varies according to the types of SOD1 gene mutation. These data suggest that testosterone may be of therapeutic value against ALS.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.19-19
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• 2002

This study was to examine whether the in vitro differentiated neural cells derived from human embryonic stem (hES, MB03) cells can be survived and expressed tyrosin hydroxylase(TH) in grafted normal or PD rat brain. To differentiate in vitro into neural cells, embryoid bodies (EB: for 5 days, without mitogen) were formed from hES cells, neural progenitor cells(neurosphere, for 7-10 days, 20 ng/㎖ of bFGF added N2 medium) were produced from EB, and then finally neurospheres were differentiated into mature neuron cells in N2 medium(without bFGF) for 2 weeks. In normal rat brain, neural progenitor cells or mature neuron cells (1×10/sup 7/ cells/㎖) were grafted to the striatum of normal rats. After 2 weeks, when the survival of grafted hES cells was examined by immunohistochemical analysis, the neural progenitor cell group indicated higher BrdU, NeuN＋, MAP2＋ and GFAP＋ than mature neuron cell group in grafted sites of normal rats. This result demonstrated that the in vivo differentiation of grafted hES cells be increased simultaneously in both of neuronal and glial cell type. Also, neural progenitor cell grafted normal rats expressed more TH pattern than mature neuron cells. Based on this data, as a preliminary test, when the neural progenitor cells were grafted into the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned PD rats, we confirmed the cell survival (by double staining of Nissl and NeuN) and TH expression. This result suggested that in vitro differentiated neural progenitor cells derived from hES cells are more usable than mature neuron cells for the neural cell grafting in animal model and those grafted cells were survived and expressed TH in normal or PD rat brain.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.386-395
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• 2010

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) are a multipotent cell population that can differentiate into neuron-like cells. Previously it has been reported that murine BM-MSC can differentiate into neuron-like cells by co-treatment with a Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitor -Y27632 and $CoCl_2$. In this study, we compared several ROCK inhibitors for the ability to induce human BM-MSCs to differentiate into neuron-like cells in the presence of $CoCl_2$. Y27632 with high specificity for ROCK at 1-30 ${\mu}M$ was best at inducing neuronal differentiation of MSCs. Compared to HA1077 and H1152, which also effectively induced morphological change into neuron-like cells, Y27632 showed less toxicity even at 100 ${\mu}M$, and resulted in longer multiple branching processes at a wide range of concentrations at 6 h and 72 h post-induction. H89, however, which has less specificity by inhibition of protein kinase A, S6 kinase 1 and MSK1 with similar or greater potency, was less effective at inducing neuronal differentiation of MSCs. Simvastatin, which can inhibit Rho, Ras, and Rac by blocking the synthesis of isoprenoid intermediates, showed little activity for inducing morphological changes of MSCs into neuron-like cells. Accordingly, the expression patterns for neuronal cell markers,including ${\beta}$-tubulin III, neuron-specific enolase, neurofilament, and microtubule-associated protein, were consistent with the pattern of the morphological changes. The data suggest that the ROCK inhibitors with higher specificity are more effective at inducing neuronal differentiation of MSCs.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.117-127
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• 2002

Objective: This study was to investigate the generation of the functional neuron derived from human embryonic stem (hES, MB03) cells on in vitro neural cell differentiation system. Methods: For neural progenitor cell formation derived from hES cells, we produced embryoid bodies (EB: for 5 days, without mitogen) from hES cells and then neurospheres (for $7{\sim}10$ days, 20 ng/ml of bFGF added N2 medium) from EB. And then finally for the differentiation into mature neuron, neural progenitor cells were cultured in i) N2 medium only (without bFGF), ii) N2 supplemented with 20 ng/ml platelet derived growth factor-bb (PDGF-bb) or iii) N2 supplemented with 5 ng/ml brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for 2 weeks. Identification of neural cell differentiation was carried out by immunocytochemistry using $\beta_{III}$-tubulin (1:250), MAP-2 (1:100) and GFAP (1:500). Also, generation of functional neuron was identified using anti-glutamate (Sigma, 1:1000), anti-GABA (Sigma, 1:1000), anti-serotonin (Sigma, 1:1000) and anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (Sigma, 1:1000). Results: In vitro neural cell differentiation, neurotrophic factors (PDGF and BDNF) treated cell groups were high expressed MAP-2 and GFAP than non-treated cell group. The highest expression pattern of MAP-2 and $\beta_{III}$-tubulin was indicated in BDNF treated group. Also, in the presence of PDGF-bb or BDNF, most of the neural cells derived from hES cells were differentiated into glutamate and GABA neuron in vitro. Furthermore, we confirmed that there were a few serotonin and tyrosine hydroxylase positive neuron in the same culture environment. Conclusion: This results suggested that the generation of functional neuron derived from hES cells was increased by addition of neurotrophic factors such as PDGF-bb or BDNF in b-FGF induced neural cell differentiation system and especially glutamate and GABA neurons were mainly produced in the system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2013.10a
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• pp.943-945
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• 2013

The study of Schwann cell myelination has been facilitated by the availability to isolate and establish pure population of primary Schwann cells. Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of mouse embryo as source of Schwann cells were used in this study. This method includes three steps: first step of dissociation of the embryonic DRG, second step of expansion of Schwann cell precursors, followed by mechanical separation of the Schwann cell-neuronal network from the underlying fibroblasts, and third step of purification of Schwann cells from the associated neurons and subsequent expansion of the purified Schwann cells. We made a highly purified population of Schwann cells and Schwann cell-neuron networks in a short period using this procedure.

• Journal of applied mathematics & informatics
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• v.31 no.5_6
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• pp.695-709
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• 2013

Calcium is well known role for signal transduction in a neuron cell. Various processes and parameters modulate the intracellular calcium signaling process. A number of experimental and theoretical attempts are reported in the literature for study of calcium signaling in neuron cells. But still the role of various processes, components and parameters involved in calcium signaling is still not well understood. In this paper an attempt has been made to develop two dimensional finite element model to study calcium diffusion in neuron cells. The JRyR, JSERCA and JLeak, the exogenous buffers like EGTA and BAPTA, and diffusion coefficients have been incorporated in the model. Appropriate boundary conditions have been framed. Triangular ring elements have been employed to discretized the region. The effect of these parameters on calcium diffusion has been studied with the help of numerical results.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.269-274
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• 2013

Motor neuron disease (MND) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by progressive and selective degeneration of motor neurons (MNs). Because of the versatile nature, stem cells have the potential to repair or replace the degenerated cells. In this review, we discussed stem cell based therapies including the use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and genetically engineered cells to produce the neurotrophic factors for the treatment of MND. To achieve this goal, the knowledge of specificity of the cell target, homing and special markers are required.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.77-82
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• 2019

It is well known that trigeminal nerve injury causes hyperexcitability in trigeminal ganglion neurons, which become sensitized. Long after trigeminal nerve damage, trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis and upper cervical spinal cord (C1/C2) nociceptive neurons become hyperactive and are sensitized, resulting in persistent orofacial pain. Communication between neurons and non-neuronal cells is believed to be involved in these mechanisms. In this article, the authors highlight several lines of evidence that neuron-glial cell and neuron macrophage communication have essential roles in persistent orofacial pain mechanisms associated with trigeminal nerve injury and/or orofacial inflammation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.1019-1024
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• 2009

Diabetic neuropathy is characterized by the decrease of cell viability in neuron, which is induced by the hyperglycemia. HT22 cell is the neuron cell line originated from hippocampus. Ginsenosides have been reported to retain anti-diabetic effect. However, the preventive effect of ginsenosides in the condition of diabetic neuropathy was not elucidated. Thus, this study was conducted to examine the protective effect of ginsenoside total saponin (GTS), panoxadiol (PD), and panoxatriol (PT) in the high glucose-induced cell death of HT22 cells, an in vitro cellular model for diabetic neuropathy. In present study, high glucose increased lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) activity, the lipid peroxide(LPO) formation and induced the decrease of cell viability. These effects were completely prevented by the treatment of GTS, but partially prevented by the treatment of PD and PT. High glucose also increased the expression of Bax and cleaved form of caspase-3 but decreased that of Bcl-2. These effects of high glucose on Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved form of caspase-3 were completely prevented by the treatment of GTS, but partially prevented by the treatment of PD and PT in HT22 cells. In conclusion, ginsenosides prevented high glucose-induced cell death of hippocampal neuron through the inhibition of oxidative stress and apoptosis in HT 22 cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.447-453
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• 2013

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) inhibits neurite outgrowth of various neuronal cell types, and CSPG-associated inhibition of neurite outgrowth is mediated by the Rho/ROCK pathway. Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into neuron-like cells under specific conditions and have been shown to differentiate into neuron-like cells by co-treatment with the ROCK inhibitor Y27632 and the hypoxia condition mimicking agent $CoCl_2$. In this study, we addressed the hypothesis that a ROCK inhibitor might be beneficial to regenerate neurons during stem cell therapy by preventing transplanted MSCs from inhibition by CSPG in damaged tissues. Indeed, dose-dependent inhibition by CSPG pretreatment was observed during morphological changes of Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs) induced by Y27632 alone. The formation of neurite-like structures was significantly inhibited when WJ-MSCs were pre-treated with CSPG before induction under Y27632 plus $CoCl_2$ conditions, and pretreatment with a protein kinase C inhibitor reversed such inhibition. However, CSPG treatment resulted in no significant inhibition of the WJ-MSC morphological changes into neuron-like cells after initiating induction by Y27632 plus $CoCl_2$. No marked changes were detected in expression levels of neuronal markers induced by Y27632 plus $CoCl_2$ upon CSPG treatment. CSPG also blocked the morphological changes of human bone marrow-derived MSCs into neuron-like cells under other neuronal induction condition without the ROCK inhibitor, and Y27632 pre-treatment blocked the inhibitory effect of CSPG. These results suggest that a ROCK inhibitor can be efficiently used in stem cell therapy for neuronal induction by avoiding hindrance from CSPG.