Lab Anim Res.  2013 Jun;29(2):113-126. 10.5625/lar.2013.29.2.113.

In vitro and in vivo study of effects of fermented soybean product (chungkookjang) on NGF secretion ability and NGF receptor signaling pathway

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Biomaterials Science, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang, Korea. dyhwang@pusan.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Life Science and Environmental Biochemistry, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang, Korea.
  • 3Department of Food Science & Technology, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang, Korea.

Abstract

In order to investigate the effects of a fermented soybean product (Chungkookjang, CKJ) on nerve growth factor (NGF) metabolism, NGF secretion ability and its related signaling pathway were analyzed in B35 neuronal cells and the Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In B35 cells, the concentration of NGF significantly increased upon treatment with Taegwang (TG)-CKJ and Shinhwa (SH)-CKJ extracts compared with vehicle. Further, a significant increase in PC12 cell length as well as the phsophorylation levels of TrkA and Akt, which are members of a high affinity NGF receptor signaling pathway, were observed after treatment with TG-CKJ and SH-CKJ conditional medium (CM). On the other hand, there was no difference in activation of the NGF receptor p75NTR signaling pathway between vehicle and all CKJ treated groups. In Tg2576 mice showing early stage of AD, the concentrations of NGF in the serum and brain were reduced compared with those in Non-Tg mice. Treatment of Tg2576 mice with SH-CKJ, which contains high concentrations of total flavonoids and phenolic compounds, for 8 weeks dramatically recovered the NGF level to that of Non-Tg mice. Furthermore, the low phosphorylation levels of TrkA and Erk in the NGF receptor TrkA signaling pathway were rapidly recovered to those of Non-Tg mice after SH-CKJ treatment in vehicle treated Tg2576 mice, whereas the phosphorylation level of Akt was maintained at a constant level. These results suggest that CKJ may stimulate NGF secretion ability as well as the NGF receptor TrkA signaling pathway in PC12 cells and Tg2576 mice.

Keyword

Nerver growth factor; Chungkookjang; signaling pathway; TrkA; Akt

MeSH Terms

Alzheimer Disease
Animals
Brain
Flavonoids
Hand
Isoflavones
Mice
Nerve Growth Factor
Neurons
PC12 Cells
Phenol
Phosphorylation
Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor
Soybean Proteins
Soybeans
Flavonoids
Isoflavones
Nerve Growth Factor
Phenol
Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor
Soybean Proteins

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