The expression pattern of Nischarin after lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation in rats brain cortex.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether Nischarin participated in neuronal apoptosis induced by neuroinflammation and via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and PKB-dependent pathway.

MATERIAL

Use of male Sprague-Dawley rats, rat pheochromocytoma (PC12), and murine microglial cells (BV-2). Treatment lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were injected into the brain lateral ventricle of the rat. The BV-2 cells were treated by LPS. The PC12 cells were pretreated by or not pretreated by conditioned media and siRNA.

METHODS

Western blotting was used for analyzing the expression level of Nischarin, pAKT, BAD and Bcl-2. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to perform the morphology and localization of Nischarin. The siRNA could down-regulate the protein level of endogenous Nischarin.

RESULTS

The expression level of Nischarin was elevated after LPS injection; meanwhile, Nischarin was located in the neuron. Nischarin was involved in regulating the PI3K/PKB patway.

CONCLUSION

Nischarin might be involved in mediating the process of PI3K/PKB pathway-dependent neuronal apoptosis. After the silencing of Nischarin in cultured PC12 (pheochromocytoma) by siRNA, these results showed that it would induce a reduction of pAKT and Bcl-2 proteins expression; meanwhile, it induces an increase of BAD and active caspase-3.