Cyanidin-3-glucoside inhibits amyloid β(25–35)-induced neuronal cell death in cultured rat hippocampal neurons

Increasing evidence implicates changes in [Ca(2+)](i) and oxidative stress as causative factors in amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced neuronal cell death. Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), a component of anthocyanin, has been reported to protect against glutamate-induced neuronal cell death by inhibiting Ca(2+) and Zn(2+) signaling. The present study aimed to determine whether C3G exerts a protective effect against Aβ(25–35)-induced neuronal cell death in cultured rat hippocampal neurons from embryonic day 17 fetal Sprague-Dawley rats using MTT assay for cell survival, and caspase-3 assay and digital imaging methods for Ca(2+), Zn(2+), MMP and ROS. Treatment with Aβ(25–35) (20 µM) for 48 h induced neuronal cell death in cultured rat pure hippocampal neurons. Treatment with C3G for 48 h significantly increased cell survival. Pretreatment with C3G for 30 min significantly inhibited Aβ(25–35)-induced [Zn(2+)](i) increases as well as [Ca(2+)](i) increases in the cultured rat hippocampal neurons. C3G also significantly inhibited Aβ(25–35)-induced mitochondrial depolarization. C3G also blocked the Aβ(25–35)-induced formation of ROS. In addition, C3G significantly inhibited the Aβ(25–35)-induced activation of caspase-3. These results suggest that cyanidin-3-glucoside protects against amyloid β-induced neuronal cell death by reducing multiple apoptotic signals.