Neuroprotection of Sesamin against Cerebral Ischemia In-Vivo and N-Methyl-D-Aspartate-Induced Apoptosis In-Vitro

Sesamin, a major lignan found in sesame oil, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for its bioactivities. However, the information on the neuroprotective effects of sesamin against ischemia- or glutamate-induced excitotoxic injury is limited. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of sesamin against focal cerebral ischemia in vivo and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neurotoxicity in vitro. Sesamin (43.2 mg/kg) attenuated cerebral ischemic injury in mice induced by 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion. Furthermore, treatment with 0.1 μM sesamin significantly decreased the number of apoptotic neuronal cells in cultured neurons after exposure to 200 μM NMDA. Western blot and calcium imaging results indicated that sesamin protected neurons against excitotoxicity by restoring the balance of apoptotic proteins and inhibiting calcium overload in cultured neurons after exposure to NMDA. Our findings provide a new insight into the development of natural anti-excitotoxicity agents.