ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Telomerase can maintain the telomere length and avoid cel replicative senescence and apoptosis in somatic cells. Its catalytic subunit cal ed telomerase reverse transcriptase has roles in mediating cellsurvival and anti-apoptotic functions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of human telomerase reverse transcriptase on amyloid β1-40-induced human embryonic cortical neurons injury. METHODS: Human cortical neurons derived from 12-16 weeks old aborted fetuses were transfected with recombinant adenovirus vector encoding human telomerase reverse transcriptase. Expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase was evaluated by immunocytochemical staining. Telomerase activity was measured using a PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Human embryonic cortical neurons were treated with 10 μmol/L ol/L amyloid β1-40 after transfected for 3 days. Cel viability, reactive oxygen species levels and glutathione contents in human embryonic cortical neurons were respectively detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and chromatometry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase reached peak at 3 days after transfection, and the telomerase activity was rebuilt; 10 μmol/L amyloid β1-40 could significantly reduce the cel viability of neurons and glutathione content (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01), and increase the reactive oxygen species levels (P < 0.05). The neurons transfected with human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene could be significantly against the toxicity of amyloid β1-40 and increase the cel viability and glutathione content (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01), and decrease the reactive oxygen species levels (P < 0.05). The results indicate that human telomerase reverse transcriptase can protect amyloid β1-40-induced human embryonic cortical neurons injury