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- Title
(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate attenuates NADPH-d/nNOS expression in motor neurons of rats following peripheral nerve injury.
- Authors
Wei, I-Hua; Tu, Hui-Chin; Huang, Chih-Chia; Tsai, Mang-Hung; Tseng, Chi-Yu; Shieh, Jeng-Yung
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Oxidative stress and large amounts of nitric oxide (NO) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of neuronal injury and neurodegenerative disease. Recent studies have shown that (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the green tea polyphenols, has potent antioxidant effects against free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation in ischemia-induced neuronal damage. The purpose of this study was to examine whether EGCG would attenuate neuronal expression of NADPH-d/nNOS in the motor neurons of the lower brainstem following peripheral nerve crush. Thus, young adult rats were treated with EGCG (10, 25, or 50 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min prior to crushing their hypoglossal and vagus nerves for 30 seconds (left side, at the cervical level). The treatment (pre-crush doses of EGCG) was continued from day 1 to day 6, and the animals were sacrificed on days 3, 7, 14 and 28. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) immunohistochemistry were used to assess neuronal NADPH-d/nNOS expression in the hypoglossal nucleus and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus.<bold>Results: </bold>In rats treated with high dosages of EGCG (25 or 50 mg/kg), NADPH-d/nNOS reactivity and cell death of the motor neurons were significantly decreased.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>The present evidence indicated that EGCG can reduce NADPH-d/nNOS reactivity and thus may enhance motor neuron survival time following peripheral nerve injury.
- Publication
BMC Neuroscience, 2011, Vol 12, Issue 1, p52
- ISSN
1471-2202
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1186/1471-2202-12-52