SCF protects the cortical neuron from apoptotic cell death in diabetic mice / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the role of SCF on neuronal apoptosis induced by diabetes and its possible mechanism.Methods Twenty-seven male C57 mice were randomly divided into control group,diabetes group,and diabe-tes plus stem cell factor(SCF)group.The diabetic mice were induced by streptozotocin.TUNEL staining was used to assess neuronal apoptosis and western blot were used to detect the protein level of BCL-2,BAX,CASPASE 3 and P-ERK/ERK.Results Compared with the controls,the number of apoptotic neuron death and the protein levels of active CASPASE 3 were significantly increased in the cortex of diabetic mice.Treatment with SCF significantly reduced apoptotic neuron death and attenuated the increased in protein levels of active CASPASE 3 in the cortex of diabetic mice.The levels of BCL-2 and BAX were significantly increased in the diabetic animals compared to the controls.Treatment with SCF could significantly attenuated the increase in the expression of BAX but could not affect the level of BCL-2 in the cortex of diabetic mice.P-ERK was significantly decreased in the diabete group but not in dibete plus SCF group.Conclusions SCF can protect a-gainst diabete-induced apoptotic neuron death through increasing the phosphorylation of ERK and influencing the expression of BCL-2/BAX.