Yokukansan, a Traditional Japanese Medicine, Enhances the Glutamate Transporter GLT-1 Function in Cultured Rat Cortical Astrocytes

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM
Toshiyuki UekiMasahiro Yamamoto

Abstract

Astrocytes carry two glutamate transporters-GLAST and GLT-1-the latter of which is responsible for >90% of glutamate uptake activity in the brain; however, under culture conditions, the GLT-1 expression in astrocytes is exceedingly low, as is the glutamate uptake activity mediated by GLT-1. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of yokukansan (YKS) in relation to the GLT-1-mediated regulation of extracellular glutamate concentrations. Thus, we treated cultured astrocytes with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and dibutyryl-cAMP (dBcAMP) (hereinafter, referred to as "TA") to increase GLT-1 expression and then functionally examined how YKS would affect glutamate uptake ability derived from GLT-1. Contrary to expectations, although the TA treatments did not affect the uptake activity, YKS significantly augmented it. Conversely, GLAST-derived glutamate uptake was significantly reduced by TA treatments but was unaffected by YKS. Subsequently, we analyzed the GLT-1 protein and mRNA levels and found that TA treatments had significantly increased them, which were then further augmented by YKS. These findings suggest that YKS enhances GLT-1-derived glutamate transport functions in TA-treated cultured astrocytes and that this process en...Continue Reading

References

Nov 15, 1992·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·T StorckW Stoffel
Sep 1, 1993·Trends in Neurosciences·Y KanaiM A Hediger
Jan 1, 1996·Annual Review of Immunology·A S Baldwin
Apr 15, 1997·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·J L ArrizaS G Amara
Oct 8, 1999·Critical Reviews in Neurobiology·K D Sims, M B Robinson
Mar 8, 2000·Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin·K AbeH Saito
Feb 13, 2001·Methods : a Companion to Methods in Enzymology·K G Todd, R F Butterworth
May 23, 2001·Progress in Neurobiology·N C Danbolt
Jul 24, 2002·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·P F BehrensG B Landwehrmeyer
Feb 13, 2003·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Zao-zhong SuPaul B Fisher
May 15, 2007·Journal of Neuroscience Research·Sébastien Tilleux, Emmanuel Hermans
Sep 23, 2008·Neurochemistry International·Amanda L SheldonMichael B Robinson
Jan 14, 2009·Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry·Akira MonjiShigenobu Kanba
May 12, 2009·Neurochemistry International·Sébastien TilleuxEmmanuel Hermans
Feb 27, 2010·Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry·Yoshihito HayashiYoshio Mitsuyama
Mar 27, 2010·Neuropathology : Official Journal of the Japanese Society of Neuropathology·Seiichi IizukaYasushi Ikarashi
Aug 17, 2010·Neuropharmacology·Jie Jiang, Susan G Amara
Dec 29, 2016·The Journal of Experimental Medicine·Longze ShaQi Xu
Oct 17, 2017·Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine·Hiroko MiyagishiHiroshi Takeda

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 2, 2019·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Takashi MatsumotoMasahiro Yamamoto
Aug 20, 2021·Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology·Numan TaspinarA M Abd El-Aty

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
protein assay
electrophoresis
PCR
ubiquitination

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Astrocytes

Astrocytes are glial cells that support the blood-brain barrier, facilitate neurotransmission, provide nutrients to neurons, and help repair damaged nervous tissues. Here is the latest research.