The cost of publication in Journal of Biomedical Science is borne by the National Science Council, Taiwan.
Research
Daidzein induces neuritogenesis in DRG neuronal cultures
- † Equal contributors
1 Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
2 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 1, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
3 Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
4 Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Li-Non Street, Taipei 12212, Taiwan
Journal of Biomedical Science 2012, 19:80 doi:10.1186/1423-0127-19-80
Published: 29 August 2012Abstract
Background
Daidzein, a phytoestrogen found in isoflavone, is known to exert neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects on the nervous system. Using primary rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuronal cultures, we have examined the potential neurite outgrowth effect of daidzein.
Methods
Dissociated dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cultures were used to study the signaling mechanism of daidzein-induced neuritogenesis by immunocytochemistry and Western blotting.
Results
In response to daidzein treatment, DRG neurons showed a significant increase in total neurite length and in tip number per neuron. The neuritogenic effect of daidzein was significantly hampered by specific blockers for Src, protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinases (MEK/ERK), but not by those for estrogen receptor (ER). Moreover, daidzein induced phosphorylation of Src, PKCδ and ERK. The activation of PKCδ by daidzein was attenuated in the presence of a Src kinase inhibitor, and that of ERK by daidzein was diminished in the presence of either a Src or PKCδ inhibitor.
Conclusion
Daidzein may stimulate neurite outgrowth of DRG neurons depending on Src kinase, PKCδ and ERK signaling pathway.
