MODULATION OF BCL-2 EXPRESSION - A POTENTIAL COMPONENT OF ESTROGEN PROTECTION IN NT2 NEURONS

NEUROPROTECTIVE effects of estrogen have been demonstrated against a v ariety of cytotoxic insults. We present data here addressing a possibl e mechanism of estrogen neuroprotection in the human teratocarcinoma c ell line NT2 terminally differentiated to a neuronal phenotype. Cell d eath induced by H2O2 or glutamate results in a dose-dependent cell dea th of NT2 neurons, while 24h of estrogen pretreatment significantly en hances neuronal viability. Bcl-2 expression has been shown to reduce o xidative stress and prevent cell death. In NT2 neurons, Bcl-2 levels a re dramatically elevated upon differentiation and are further enhanced with estrogen treatment. These results suggest that neuroprotective e ffects of estrogen may be related to increases in Bcl-2 expression. (C ) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.