Studio del potenziale neuroprotettivo delle cellule staminali neurali adulte prelevate dalla zona subventricolare di topi C57BL/6, con particolare riferimento al ciclo dell’acido ascorbico

Oxidative stress is widely believed an important pathogenetic mechanism of neuronal death in Parkinson's disease (PD). The subventricular zone (SVZ) in mammalian brain contains adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) that generate neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The goal of this work was to demonstrate the antioxidant potential of aNSC, related to their ability to capture, reduce and secrete ascorbic acid (AA), an important antioxidant contained in high concentrations in the brain neurons. Another aim of this study was to identify biological structures responsible for transporting AA (SVCT2) and its oxidized form (dehydroascorbic acid, DHAA), through glucose transporters (GLUTs).Our results demonstrate that AA induced a significant increase in aNSCs proliferation. aNSC, such as neurons, are able to accumulate AA, in fact our studies have shown that they possess the carrier SVCT2. Moreover, aNSCs carry within them the DHA through the GLUT1 and they are able to induce the DHAA reduction back to AA, such as astrocytes. Moreover the results from this study shown the inhibitory effects on aNSC viabilityin vitroinduced by Mn alone or in association with L-DOPA and the antagonism exerted by AA. The later data demonstrate the ability of aNSCs to protect DA and L-DOPA (molecules involved in Parkinson's disease) from autoxidationin vitro.This antioxidant capacity may be of relevance to the use of aNSC as a valid therapeutic alternative able to limit the progression of PD.