Cannabinoid neuroprotection is usually greater in vivo than in neuronal cell culture systems. To the authors' knowledge, a good in vitro culture model for the neuroprotective effects of cannabinoids does not exist. Therefore, a 3-dimensional (3D) culture system was developed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN-55,212-2 on apoptosis of differentiated PC12 cells, caused by the organophosphorus compounds paraoxon and diazinon. Cells pretreated with WIN-55,212-2 were exposed to a proapoptotic concentration of paraoxon and diazinon. TUNEL was used to detect apoptosis, and neurite length was assessed by morphometry. Both paraoxon and diazinon induced apoptosis, although the latter was more potent. WIN-55,212-2 also protected cells from neurite retraction and DNA fragmentation induced by the OPs. The results suggest that WIN-55,212-2 protects PC12 cells cultured under 3D conditions from organophosphorus-induced apoptosis. This 3D culture system may prove to be a useful tool for investigating the neuroprotective effects of cannabinoids.
SUMMARY:Considering the size of some nuclei and area, sex hormones control the sexual development of the brain. The sexual development of the brain can also be influenced by environmental stress. This study aimed to clear the effect of prenatal water deprivation on the development of sexual dimorphic nucleus (SDN) of the brain. In this research, pregnant rats were divided into two groups (control and treated). For the treated animals, water was removed from the ewes for 48 h at the end of third trimester of gestation (19-21 days). TUNEL staining was used for detection of apoptosis in paraffin embedded diencephalon selected sections. The ratio of apoptotic cells to non-apoptotic ones was calculated as apoptotic index. Differences of apoptotic index and serum testosterone were examined for statistical significance using Paired T-test (p<0.05). The apoptotic index was 0.0160±.01174% for control and 0.1870±.02541 % for treated groups. The concentration of serum testosterone was 22.4±1.3 for control and 13.37±3.3 for treated groups. Prenatal water deprivation induces apoptosis in developing SDN nucleus of male rats that is derived by reducing the concentration of serum testosterone. The study shows the importance of low concentration acting testosterone for development of SDN nucleus that can be affected by environmental stress.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.