Yu Chen

Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China

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Publications (4)10.15 Total impact

  • Article: Resveratrol promotes cellular glucose utilization in primary cultured cortical neurons via calcium-dependent signaling pathway.
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    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Impairment of glucose utilization contributes to neuronal degeneration of Alzheimer's disease patients. Cellular glucose utilization can be regulated by calcium-dependent signaling pathways. Resveratrol (RSV) is a plant-derived polyphenol with multiple beneficial effects, including neuroprotection and metabolic improvement. Here, we investigated the effect of RSV on neuronal calcium signal and glucose utilization. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS: Primary culture of cortical neurons, calcium imaging, 2-NBDG assay and western blotting were employed to investigate RSV-mediated effects on neuronal calcium signal and glucose utilization. RESULTS: RSV elevated intracellular calcium in cortical neurons via modulation of secondary messenger system including nitrous oxide, cGMP and cAMP. Secondarily, a calcium-dependent enhancement of neuronal glucose utilization after RSV treatment was observed. The effects on neuronal glucose utilization are largely dependent on RSV-induced calcium-dependent AMP-activated protein kinase activation. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that activation of calcium-dependent signaling pathways by RSV may convey improvements of neuronal glucose utilization.
    The Journal of nutritional biochemistry 07/2012; · 4.29 Impact Factor
  • Article: Lowering glucose level elevates [Ca2+]i in hypothalamic arcuate nucleus NPY neurons through P/Q-type Ca2+ channel activation and GSK3β inhibition.
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    ABSTRACT: To identify the mechanisms underlying the elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) level ([Ca(2+)](i)) induced by lowering extracellular glucose in rat hypothalamic arcuate nucleus NPY neurons. Primary cultures of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) neurons were prepared from Sprague-Dawley rats. NPY neurons were identified with immunocytochemical method. [Ca(2+)](i) was measured using fura-2 AM. Ca(2+) current was recorded using whole-cell patch clamp recording. AMPK and GSK3β levels were measured using Western blot assay. Lowering glucose level in the medium (from 10 to 1 mmol/L) induced a transient elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) in ARC neurons, but not in hippocampal and cortical neurons. The low-glucose induced elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) in ARC neurons depended on extracellular Ca(2+), and was blocked by P/Q-type Ca(2+)channel blocker ω-agatoxin TK (100 nmol/L), but not by L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker nifedipine (10 μmol/L) or N-type Ca(2+)channel blocker ω-conotoxin GVIA (300 nmol/L). Lowering glucose level increased the peak amplitude of high voltage-activated Ca(2+) current in ARC neurons. The low-glucose induced elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) in ARC neurons was blocked by the AMPK inhibitor compound C (20 μmol/L), and enhanced by the GSK3β inhibitor LiCl (10 mmol/L). Moreover, lowering glucose level induced the phosphorylation of AMPK and GSK3β, which was inhibited by compound C (20 μmol/L). Lowering glucose level enhances the activity of P/Q type Ca(2+)channels and elevates [Ca(2+)](i) level in hypothalamic arcuate nucleus neurons via inhibition of GSK3β.
    Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 04/2012; 33(5):594-605. · 1.95 Impact Factor
  • Article: HPLC and LC-MS analysis of sinomenine and its application in pharmacokinetic studies in rats.
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    ABSTRACT: To improve and validate analytical methods based on HPLC and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for the quantitative measurement of sinomenine in rat plasma and brain tissue. The separation of analytes and the internal standard (IS), chloramphenicol, was performed on an Agilent TC-C18 column (250×4.6 mm, 5 μm). Blood samples were measured with a Surveyor photodiode array (PDA) detector at a wavelength of 263 nm. The LCQ DECA XP(Plus) mass spectrometer was operated in the multiple reactions monitoring mode using positive electrospray ionization, and the transition from the precursor ion (m/z 279) to the product ion (m/z 224) for sinomenine was measured in brain tissue. Measurements were linear over the concentration range of 0.1-100 μg/mL for sinomenine in plasma and over the range of 0.01-5.00 μg/g for sinomenine in brain tissue. The intra- and inter-day variabilities were less than 10% of the relative standard deviation (RSD), and the extraction and recovery of sinomenine was 72.48%-80.26% from plasma and 73.75%-80.26% from brain tissue. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.1 μg/mL for plasma, and 0.01 μg/g for brain tissue. Identification of sinomenine was reproducible at 0.5, 5, and 50 μg/mL in the plasma and at 0.05, 0.50, and 2.00 μg/g in brain tissue. The concentration of sinomenine measured in brain tissue after a single ip dose had a neuroprotective effect on H₂O₂-induced injury in PC12 cells in vitro. Our methods offered a sensitivity within a wide linear concentration range for sinomenine. These methods were successfully applied to evaluate sinomenine pharmacokinetics over time in rat brain tissue after a single ip dose of 30 mg/kg.
    Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 11/2010; 31(11):1508-14. · 1.95 Impact Factor
  • Article: HPLC and LC-MS analysis of sinomenine and its application in pharmacokinetic studies in rats
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    ABSTRACT: Aim: To improve and validate analytical methods based on HPLC and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for the quantitative measurement of sinomenine in rat plasma and brain tissue.
    Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 09/2010; 31(11):1508-1514. · 1.95 Impact Factor