Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2017, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (2): 220-227.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.200805

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Pretreated quercetin protects gerbil hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons from transient cerebral ischemic injury by increasing the expression of antioxidant enzymes

Bai Hui Chen1, Joon Ha Park2, JiHyeon Ahn2, JeongHwi Cho3, In Hye Kim3, Jae Chul Lee3, Moo-Ho Won3, Choong-Hyun Lee4, In Koo Hwang5, Jong-Dai Kim6, Il Jun Kang7, Jun Hwi Cho8, Bich Na Shin9, Yang Hee Kim10, Yun Lyul Lee9, Seung Min Park11   

  1. 1 Department of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Neuroscience, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China;
    2 Department of Biomedical Science and Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea; 
    3 Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea; 
    4 Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Dankook University, Cheonan, South Korea; 
    5 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea; 
    6 Division of Food Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea;
    7 Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea; 
    8 Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea; 
    9 Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, and Institute of Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea; 
    10 Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea; 
    11 Department of Emergency Medicine, Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Anyang, South Korea
  • Received:2017-02-09 Online:2017-02-15 Published:2017-02-15
  • Contact: Yun Lyul Lee, D.V.M., Ph.D. or Seung Min Park, M.D., yylee@hallym.ac.kr or aukawa@hallym.or.kr.
  • Supported by:

    This work was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2015R1D1A1A01059728), and by Hallym University Research Fund 2014 (HURF-2014-25).

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Abstract:

Quercetin (QE; 3,5,7,3′,4′-pentahydroxyflavone), a well-known flavonoid, has been shown to prevent against neurodegenerative disorders and ischemic insults. However, few studies are reported regarding the neuroprotective mechanisms of QE after ischemic insults. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of QE on ischemic injury and the expression of antioxidant enzymes in the hippocampal CA1 region of gerbils subjected to 5 minutes of transient cerebral ischemia. QE was pre-treated once daily for 15 days before ischemia. Pretreatment with QE protected hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons from ischemic injury, which was confirmed by neuronal nuclear antigen immunohistochemistry and Fluoro-Jade B histofluorescence staining. In addition, pretreatment with QE significantly increased the expression levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, Mn superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of animals with ischemic injury. These findings demonstrate that pretreated QE displayed strong neuroprotective effects against transient cerebral ischemia by increasing the expression of antioxidant enzymes.

Key words: nerve regeneration, flavonoids, transient cerebral ischemia, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, catalase, Mn superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, neural regeneration