Neuroprotective effects of a novel antidiabetic drug (D-Ser2)Oxm on amyloid β protein-induced cytotoxicity / 生理学报

The accumulation and neurotoxicity of amyloid β protein (Aβ) in the brain is one of major pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The effective drugs against Aβ have been still deficient up to now. According to a most recent study, (D-Ser2) Oxm, a new antidiabetic drug, not only improves the disorders in plasma glucose and insulin in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats, but also exerts positive effects on hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. However, it is still unclear whether (D-Ser2)Oxm can directly protect cultured neurons against Aβ1-42-induced cytotoxicity. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of (D-Ser2)Oxm on the cultured primary hippocampal neurons by testing the cell viability, neuronal apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular calcium concentration. The results showed that treatment with (D-Ser2)Oxm effectively reversed Aβ1-42-induced decline in cell viability (P < 0.001), and this protective effect could be inhibited by the pretreatment with exendin(9-39), a GLP-1 receptor blocker. (D-Ser2)Oxm treatment also decreased Aβ1-42-induced neuronal early apoptosis and down-regulated apoptotic protein caspase3. Meantime, (D-Ser2)Oxm treatment inhibited Aβ1-42-induced [Ca(2+)]i elevation, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) activation. These results suggest that (D-Ser2)Oxm can protect hippocampal neurons against Aβ1-42-induced cytotoxicity and this effect may be related to activation of GLP-1 receptors, regulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis and stabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential.

Clinical study on acupuncture for leukopenia induced by chemotherapy / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the adjunctive therapeutic effects of acupuncture for leukopenia induced by chemotherapy. METHODS Eighty six cases with leukopenia after chemotherapy treatment were randomly divided into a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) plus acupuncture (A) group and a G-CSF group, 43 cases in each group. After chemotherapy treatments, the patients of both groups were treated with G-CSF for 4 times, with acupuncture at Zhigou (TE 6), Quchi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 4), etc. added in the G-CSF plus A group, for an observaion cycle of 45 days. Their therapeutic effects on the 10th and 31st day and peripheral white blood cell (WBC) counts and neutrophilic granulocyte classification on the 10th, 17th, 24th, 45th day after treatment were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After they were treated on the 10th day, the effective rates were both 100.0% (both 43/43), and on the 31st day, the effective rate of 98.9% (42/43) in the G-CSF plus A group was higher than 91.1% (35/43) in the G-CSF group (P < 0.05). The WBC counts in the G-CSF plus acupuncture group were both higher than those in the G-CSF group on the 10th, 17th and 24th day after treatment (all P < 0.05). The ratios of mature neutrophilic granulocyte in the G-CSF plus A group were all higher than those in the G-CSF group at the same time (all P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture can increase the therapeutic effect of G-CSF, delay the decrease of WBC after discontinuing G-CSF, promote the neutrophilic granulocyte differentiating forward to mature and it is better for improving leukopenia induced by chemotherapy.</p>