Water extract from the leaves of Withania somnifera protect RA differentiated C6 and IMR-32 cells against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity.

Abstract

Glutamate neurotoxicity has been implicated in stroke, head trauma, multiple sclerosis and neurodegenerative disorders. Search for herbal remedies that may possibly act as therapeutic agents is an active area of research to combat these diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective role of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), also known as Indian ginseng, against glutamate induced toxicity in the retinoic acid differentiated rat glioma (C6) and human neuroblastoma (IMR-32) cells. The neuroprotective activity of the Ashwagandha leaves derived water extract (ASH-WEX) was evaluated. Cell viability and the expression of glial and neuronal cell differentiation markers was examined in glutamate challenged differentiated cells with and without the presence of ASH-WEX. We demonstrate that RA-differentiated C6 and IMR-32 cells, when exposed to glutamate, undergo loss of neural network and cell death that was accompanied by increase in the stress protein HSP70. ASH-WEX pre-treatment inhibited glutamate-induced cell death and was able to revert glutamate-induced changes in HSP70 to a large extent. Furthermore, the analysis on the neuronal plasticity marker NCAM (Neural cell adhesion molecule) and its polysialylated form, PSA-NCAM revealed that ASH-WEX has therapeutic potential for prevention of neurodegeneration associated with glutamate-induced excitotoxicty.

• Authors: Hardeep Kataria, Renu Wadhwa, Sunil C Kaul, Gurcharan Kaur
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 7 Issue 5 Pg. e37080 ( 2012) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22606332 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
• HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
• Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules
• Neurofilament Proteins
• Neuroprotective Agents
• Neurotoxins
• Plant Extracts
• neurofilament protein H
• Glutamic Acid
• Tretinoin
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 2
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
• Ashwagandha

Topics

• Animals
• Cell Death (drug effects)
• Cell Differentiation (drug effects)
• Cell Line
• Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists (isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (metabolism)
• Glutamic Acid (toxicity)
• HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins (metabolism)
• Humans
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 (metabolism)
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (metabolism)
• Nerve Degeneration (prevention & control)
• Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules (metabolism)
• Neurofilament Proteins (metabolism)
• Neurons (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Neuroprotective Agents (isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Neurotoxins (antagonists & inhibitors, toxicity)
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology)
• Plant Leaves
• Plants, Medicinal
• Rats
• Tretinoin (pharmacology)
• Withania