Neuroprotective effect of estrogen on hypoglycemic injury in hypothalamic cells

Abstract

Glucose is the main metabolic fuel for the neuronal cells. In the event of low glucose the regions of the brain like the cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus become vulnerable to injury. The projects aims to find the effect of hypoglycemia on hypothalamic cells and explore estrogen as a potent neuroprotective agent. Hypothalamic cells HT39 (both express ERalpha and ERbeta) grown in the presence and absence of glucose. Cell death was analyzed at various time points using parameters like cell count, 3‐(4,5‐Dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphrnyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Alamar blue. In addition, calculated amounts of beta‐estradiol (100nM) were used in order to access the neuroprotective effect of estrogen. Preliminary results usind Alamar Blue showed that within 24 hours, there is a ∼17–20% decrease in the cell proliferation when exposed to hypoglycemic insults. However, if exogenous estrogen is present in the same hypoglycemic media, there is a ∼10–12% increase in cell proliferation at that same 24 hour time point. Trypan Blue cell counting analysis revealed a similar trend after 24 hours: ∼14% decrease cell viability under hypoglycemic conditions, while in the presence of estrogen, cell viability increases ∼5%. These observations lead us to believe that estrogen has a neuroprotective effect on hypoglycemic shock in hypothalamic cells.