News Release

How does ethanol induce nerve cell apoptosis?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Neural Regeneration Research

SK-N-SH Neuroblastoma Cells

image: SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells were grown in culture dishes treated with ethanol for 24 hours. Cell morphology was examined by phase-contrast microscopy under 200 × magnifications. Few normal cells are spindle in shape with strong stereoscopic appearance. Most of the ethanol-treated cells shrank into round shape with poor stereoscopic appearance. view more 

Credit: <i>Neural Regeneration Research</i>

Previous studies have demonstrated that ethanol influences the secretion of neurotrophins, promotes oxidative stress, reduces the absorption of nutritive substances, and thereby induces neuronal damage. Numerous recent in vitro and in vivo studies provide evidence showing that ethanol can directly induce apoptotic cell death of the neurons. Chronic alcohol use is accompanied by volume reductions of gray and white matter, microstructural disruption of various white matter tracts, and enlargement of cerebral ventricles and sulci, thereby causing brain dysfunctions, such as neuropsychological deficits, cognitive executive function impairment and memory loss. Prof. Yong Moon and colleagues from Namseoul University report an article entitled "How does ethanol induce apoptotic cell death of SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells?" in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 20, 2013). In this paper, the researchers elaborate signaling mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced neuronal apoptosis in detail, that is, ethanol mediates apoptosis of SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells by activating p53-related cell cycle arrest possibly through activation of the c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase-related cell death pathway.

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Article: " How does ethanol induce apoptotic cell death of SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells?" by Yong Moon1, Yongil Kwon2, Shun Yu3 (1 Department of Public Health Administration, Namseoul University, Chunan, Seoul 331-707, Korea; 2 Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Seoul 134-701, Korea; 3 Department of Neurobiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China)

Moon Y, Kwon Y, Yu S. How does ethanol induce apoptotic cell death of SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells? Neural Regen Res. 2013;8(20):1853-1862.

Contact:

Meng Zhao
nrr@nrronline.org
86-138-049-98773
Neural Regeneration Research

http://www.nrronline.org/

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