Issn Print: 0268-1315
Publication Date: 2005/05/01
Inhibitory effects of benzodiazepines on neural stem cell proliferation via ω2 type beozodiazepine receptor
Shinohara Kazuyuki; Hiraishi Keizo; Moriya Takahiro; Horie Nobutaka
Excerpt
Benzodiazepine receptors (BZR) are target for various drugs such as somnifacient drugs, and are classified into two types (ω1 and ω2). In this study, we examined the expression of BZR subtypes in the cultured neural stem cells (NSCs) and the effects of diazepam (agonist for ω1 and ω2 receptors) or zolpidem (agonist for ω1 receptor) on the proliferation. The NSCs were derived from E15 mice striatum and their proliferation was evaluated by WST-8 assay and the expressions of BZR were examined by RT-PCR. We found that NSCs expressed dominantly α2, α3, β2, β3 and γ1 subunits, those are known to form ω2 type of BZR. Furthermore, treatment with diazepam, but not zolpidem, suppressed EGF-induced proliferation of the NSCs in a concentration-dependent manner. These results indicate that NSCs proliferation is regulated by ω2 type of BZR and raise the possibility that agents for ω2 types of BZR diminished the self-renewal activity of the NSC in the CNS.
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