1-3-dihydroxy-4-4-5-5-tetramethyl-2-(4-carboxyphenyl)tetrahydroimidazole and Neuroblastoma

Recently, it has been reported that inflammatory processes are associated with the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease and that treatment of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the risk for Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we examined nitric oxide radical quenching activity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroidal drugs using our established direct in vitro nitric oxide radical detecting system by electron spin resonance spectrometry. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin, mefenamic acid, indomethacin and ketoprofen directly and dose-dependently scavenged generated nitric oxide radicals. In experiments of nitric oxide radical donor, NOC18-induced neuronal damage, these four non-steroidal drugs significantly prevented the NOC18-induced reduction of cell viability and apoptotic nuclear changes in neuronal cells without affecting the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase-like immunoreactivity. However, ibuprofen, naproxen or steroidal drugs, which had less or no scavenging effects in vitro, showed almost no protective effects against NOC18-induced cell toxicity. These results suggest that the protective effects of the former four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs against apoptosis might be mainly due to their direct nitric oxide radical scavenging activities in neuronal cells. These direct NO. quenching activities represent novel effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Our findings identified novel pharmacological mechanisms of these drugs to exert not only their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic activities but also neuroprotective activities against neurodegeneration.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Aspirin; Benzoates; Cell Death; Cell Line; Cell Nucleus; Cell Survival; Dexamethasone; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Free Radical Scavengers; Free Radicals; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Imidazoles; Indomethacin; Inflammation; Mefenamic Acid; Naproxen; Neuroblastoma; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Donors; Nitroso Compounds; Rats; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Accumulation of reactive oxygen species is critical for the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease. Melatonin hormone, an antioxidant, could play a key role in aging and senescence. Nitric oxide, a biologically active unstable radical, is synthesized by nitric oxide synthase when converting L-arginine to L-citrulline. We have investigated whether the treatment of cultured cells with melatonin could possibly reduce the release of free radicals and other ROS. We assayed NO indirectly by measuring the level of its stable end products, nitrite/nitrate (NOx), using the Griess reagent. When the neuroblastoma cells such as N1E-115 were treated with a NO donor such as sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a significant level of NOx was detected in a time- and dose-dependent manner in the conditioned medium compared to the untreated cells or SNP-containing media. In neuroblastoma cells, the release of NOx as mediated by SNP was significantly inhibited by treatment with (i) carboxy-PTIO, a NO scavenger; (ii) SOD-1, superoxide dismutase; and (iii) melatonin. In these cells SNP-mediated NOx release was mediated by superoxide ions and/or free radicals that can be inhibited by melatonin. The ROS-scavenging function of melatonin along with its neuroprotective and neurodifferentiating role can be utilized for the prevention of neurodegenerative disorders such as AD.

Topics: Animals; Benzoates; Cerebellum; Imidazoles; Kinetics; Melatonin; Neuroblastoma; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitroprusside; Reactive Oxygen Species; Superoxide Dismutase; Tumor Cells, Cultured