Protective Effect of Ecdysterone on PC12Cells Cytotoxicity Induced by Beta-amyloid_(25-35)

Objective： To examine the protective effect of ecdysterone （ECR） against beta-amyloid peptide fragment25-35 （Aβ25-35）-induced PC12 cells cytotoxicity, and to further explore its mechanism. Methods： Experimental PC12 cells were divided into the Aβ group （treated by Aβ25-35 100μmol/L）, the blank group （untreated）, the positive control group （treated by Vit E 100 μmol/L after induction） and the ECR treated groups （treated by ECR with different concentrations of 1, 50 and 100 μmol/L）. The damaged and survival condition of PC12 cells in various groups was monitored by lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） release and MTT assay. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA） was measured by fluorometric assay to indicate the lipid peroxidation. And the antioxidant enzymes activities in PC12 cells, including superoxide dismutases（SOD）, catalase （CAT） and glutathione peroxidase（GSH-Px）, were detected respectively. Results： After PC12 cells were treated with Aβ25-35 （100 μmol/L） for 24 hrs, they revealed a great decrease in MTT absorbance and activity of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, CAT and GSH-Px as well as a significant increase of LDH activity and MDA content in PC12 cells （P〈0.01）. When the cells was pretreated with 1-100 μmol/L ECR for 24 hrs before Aβ25-35 treatment, the above-mentioned cytotoxic effect of Aβ25-35 could be significantly attenuated dose-dependently, for ECR 50 μmol/L, P〈0.05 and for ECR 100 μmol/L, P〈0.01. Moreover, ECR also showed significant inhibition on the Aβ25-35 induced decrease of SOD and GSH-Px activity, but not on that of CAT. Conclusion： ECR could protect PC12 cells from cytotoxicity of Aβ25-35, and the protective mechanism might be related to the increase of SOD and GSH-Px activities and the decrease of MDA resulting from the ECR-pretreatment.

Naringin ameliorates H_(2)O_(2)-induced oxidative damage in cells and prolongs the lifespan of female Drosophila melanogaster via the insulin signaling pathway

Naringin exists in a wide range of Chinese herbal medicine and has proven to possess several pharmacological properties.In this study,PC12,HepG2 cells,and female Drosophila melanogaster were used to investigate the antioxidative and anti-aging effects of naringin and explore the underlying mechanisms.The results showed that naringin inhibited H_(2)O_(2)-induced decline in cell viability and decreased,the content of reactive oxygen species in cells.Meanwhile,naringin prolonged the lifespan of flies,enhanced the abilities of climbing and the resistance to stress,improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes,and decreased malondialdehyde content.Naringin also improved intestinal barrier dysfunction and reduced abnormal proliferation of intestinal stem cells.Moreover,naringin down-regulated the mRNA expressions of inr,chico,pi 3k,and akt-1,and up-regulated the mRNA expressions of dilp2,dilp3,dilp5,and foxo,thereby activating autophagy-related genes and increasing the number of lysosomes.Furthermore,the mutant stocks assays and computer molecular simulation results further indicated that naringin delayed aging by inhibiting the insulin signaling(IIS)pathway and activating the autophagy pathway,which was consistent with the result of network pharmacological predictions.

Anti-inflammatory and DNA Repair Effects of Astragaloside IV on PC12 Cells Damaged by Lipopolysaccharide

Objective This study aimed to establish a neural cell injury model in vitro by stimulating PC12 cells with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and to examine the effects of astragaloside IV on key targets using high-throughput sequence technology and bioinformatics analyses.Methods PC12 cells in the logarithmic growth phase were treated with LPS at final concentrations of 0.25,0.5,0.75,1,and 1.25 mg/mL for 24 h.Cell morphology was evaluated,and cell survival rates were calculated.A neurocyte inflammatory model was established with LPS treatment,which reached a 50%cell survival rate.PC12 cells were treated with 0.01,0.1,1,10,or 100µmol/L astragaloside IV for 24 h.The concentration of astragaloside IV that did not affect the cell survival rate was selected as the treatment group for subsequent experiments.NOS activity was detected by colorimetry;the expression levels of ERCC2,XRCC4,XRCC2,TNF-α,IL-1β,TLR4,NOS and COX-2 mRNA and protein were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting.The differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between the groups were screened using a second-generation sequence(fold change>2,P<0.05)with the following KEGG enrichment analysis,RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of DEGs related to the IL-17 pathway in different groups of PC12 cells.Results The viability of PC12 cells was not altered by treatment with 0.01,0.1,or 1µmol/L astragaloside IV for 24 h(P>0.05).However,after treatment with 0.5,0.75,1,or 1.25 mg/mL LPS for 24 h,the viability steadily decreased(P<0.01).The mRNA and protein expression levels of ERCC2,XRCC4,XRCC2,TNF-α,IL-1β,TLR4,NOS,and COX-2 were significantly increased after PC12 cells were treated with 1 mg/mL LPS for 24 h(P<0.01);however,these changes were reversed when PC12 cells were pretreated with 0.01,0.1,or 1µmol/L astragaloside IV in PC12 cells and then treated with 1 mg/mL LPS for 24 h(P<0.05).Second-generation sequencing revealed that 1026 genes were upregulated,while 1287 genes were downregulated.The DEGs were associated with autophagy,TNF-α,interleukin-17,MAPK,P53,Toll-like receptor,and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways.Furthermore,PC12 cells treated with a 1 mg/mL LPS for 24 h exhibited increased mRNA and protein expression of CCL2,CCL11,CCL7,MMP3,and MMP10,which are associated with the IL-17 pathway.RT-qPCR and Western blotting analyses confirmed that the DEGs listed above corresponded to the sequence assay results.Conclusion LPS can damage PC12 cells and cause inflammatory reactions in nerve cells and DNA damage.astragaloside IV plays an anti-inflammatory and DNA damage protective role and inhibits the IL-17 signaling pathway to exert a neuroprotective effect in vitro.

Rapamycin reverses ferroptosis by increasing autophagy in MPTP/MPP+-induced models of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder,and fe rroptosis plays a significant role in the pathological mechanism underlying Parkinson’s disease.Rapamycin,an autophagy inducer,has been shown to have neuroprotective effects in Parkinson’s disease.However,the link between rapamycin and ferroptosis in Parkinson’s disease is not entirely clear.In this study,rapamycin was administe red to a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced Parkinson’s disease mouse model and a 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced Parkinson’s disease PC12 cell model.The results showed that rapamycin improved the behavioral symptoms of Parkinson’s disease model mice,reduced the loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta,and reduced the expression of ferroptosis-related indicators(glutathione peroxidase 4,recombinant solute carrier family 7,member 11,glutathione,malondialdehyde,and reactive oxygen species).In the Parkinson’s disease cell model,rapamycin improved cell viability and reduced ferro ptosis.The neuroprotective effect of rapamycin was attenuated by a ferroptosis inducer(methyl(1S,3R)-2-(2-chloroacetyl)-1-(4-methoxycarbonylphenyl)-1,3,4,9-tetrahyyridoindole-3-carboxylate)and an autophagy inhibitor(3-methyladenine).Inhibiting ferro ptosis by activating autophagy may be an important mechanism by which rapamycin exerts its neuroprotective effects.Therefo re,the regulation of ferroptosis and autophagy may provide a therapeutic target for drug treatments in Parkinson’s disease.

Neuroprotective effects of neural stem cells pretreated with neuregulin1β on PC12 cells exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation

Studies on ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)injury suggest that exogenous neural stem cells(NSCs)are ideal candidates for stem cell therapy reperfusion injury.However,NSCs are difficult to obtain owing to ethical limitations.In addition,the survival,differentiation,and proliferation rates of transplanted exogenous NSCs are low,which limit their clinical application.Our previous study showed that neuregulin1β(NRG1β)alleviated cerebral I/R injury in rats.In this study,we aimed to induce human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into NSCs and investigate the improvement effect and mechanism of NSCs pretreated with 10 nM NRG1βon PC12 cells injured by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R).Our results found that 5 and 10 nM NRG1βpromoted the generation and proliferation of NSCs.Co-culture of NSCs and PC12 cells under condition of OGD/R showed that pretreatment of NSCs with NRG1βimproved the level of reactive oxygen species,malondialdehyde,glutathione,superoxide dismutase,nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate,and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)and mitochondrial damage in injured PC12 cells;these indexes are related to ferroptosis.Research has reported that p53 and solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11)play vital roles in ferroptosis caused by cerebral I/R injury.Our data show that the expression of p53 was increased and the level of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)was decreased after RNA interference-mediated knockdown of SLC7A11 in PC12 cells,but this change was alleviated after co-culturing NSCs with damaged PC12 cells.These findings suggest that NSCs pretreated with NRG1βexhibited neuroprotective effects on PC12 cells subjected to OGD/R through influencing the level of ferroptosis regulated by p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway.

An Antioxidant Acidic Polysaccharide from Cuscuta chinensis

An acidic polysaccharide, H2, was isolated from the alkali-extract CHC of seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. with the molecular weight more than 1.0 x 10(6). Chemical and spectroscopic studies led to the structure determination as follows: the backbone chain consists of 1, 6-linked-beta -D Galp, 1,4-linked-X -D Galp, 1,4-linked-beta -D GalA and 1,2- or 1,4-linked-beta -L Rhap having branching points at position O-3 of some 1,6-linked-beta -D Galp residues (one among eight) and O-4 or O-2 of 1,2- or 1,4-linked-beta -L Rhap residues to terminal beta -D-galactopyranose. The side chains composed of terminal Galp, 1,6-linked-beta -D Galp, 1,4-linked beta -D Galp and 1,3,6-linked-beta -D Galp also linked at position O-3 of 1,6-linked-beta -D Galp residues in the backbone chain. beta -L-arabinofuranosyl and terminal beta -L-rhamnopyranosyl residues existed in the periphery of this polysaccharide linked to O-3 of 1,6-linked-beta -D Galp residues in the backbone chain and the side chains. The polysaccharide H2 increased significantly the survival rate of PC12 cells indicating that it had protective effects against H2O2 insult.

Neuroprotective Effects of Bushen Decoction Against Glutamate-Induced Neurotoxicity in PC12 Cells

Aim The enhanced effect of Bushen (Kidney-tonifying) decoction (BS) oncultured PC12 cell proliferation and its antagonistic action on neurotoxicity induced by glutamatewere investigated by serum pharmacological method of the Chinese material medica (CMM) in vitro.Methods The effect of BS on cultured PC12 cell activity and its antagonistic action on neurotoxicityinduced by glutamate was observed by MTT method. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopetechniques were employed to observe the antagonistic effect of BS on early period apoptosis of PC12cells induced by glutamate. Results The serum with BS was able to enhance activity of PC12 cells andexert antagonistic effect on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. Meanwhile, these beneficial effectsproduced by BS were found to be the strongest in 20% concentration of in serum BS. Moreover, it caninhibit apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by glutamate , which occurs in the early period. ConclusionBS may exert a potential neuroprotective effect.

Overexpression of 14-3-3 protein protects pheochromocytoma cells against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium toxicity

Objective To investigate the effects of 14-3-3 protein overexpression on the 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium （MPP^＋） induced pheochromocytoma （PC12） cell death and the potential mechanisms. Methods pcDNA3.1（＋）-14-3-3 plasmids, which could be expressed in mammalian cell, were constructed and transfected into PC 12 cells with Lipofectamine 2000. The expression of 14-3-3 protein, Bcl-2 protein, and BAD protein were determined by western blot. 3-（4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay, microplate reader, and flow cytometric analysis were used to measure cell viability, the caspase activity, and apoptotic ratio respectively. Results （1） The expression of 14-3-3 protein increased significantly three weeks after pcDNA3.1（＋）-14-3-3 plasmids transfected into PC 12 cells. （2） MPP^＋ caused a decrease of cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. At 100μmol/L MPP^＋, cell viability reduced approximately 50%. （3） The caspase activity increased along with the MPP^＋ concentrations rising and reached its maximum value （0.34 μmol/mg protein） at 100 μmol/L MPP＊. However caspase activity decreased significantly when the MPP^＋ concentration exceeded 100 μmol/L. （4） Overexpression of 14-3-3 protein decreased the apoptosis ratio of PC 12 cells treated with 100μmol/L MPP^＋ from 26.5% to 8.6%. （5） Bcl-2 protein tended to decrease but BAD protein tended to increase after treatment of PC 12 cells with 100 μmol/L MPP^＋. Overexpression of 14-3-3 protein significantly increased the cellular level of Bcl-2 protein and decreased that of BAD protein. Conclusion Overexpression of 14-3-3 protein may reduce MPP^＋-induced apoptotic cell death in PC12 cells by up-regulating the Bcl-2 expression and down-regulating the BAD expression. These results may provide a promising target for treatment of Parkinson＇s disease.

Protective effect of erythropoietin against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced neurodegenaration in PC12 cells

Objective The neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin （EPO） against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium （MPP^＋）- induced oxidative stress in cultured PC12 cells, as well as the underlying mechanism, were investigated. Methods PC12 ceils impaired by MPP^＋ were used as the cell model of Parkinson＇s disease. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） was used to assay the viability of the PC12 cells exposed to gradient concentrations of EPO, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling （TUNEL） assay was used to analyze the apoptosis ratio of PC 12 cells. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in PC 12 cells were examined by Western blot, and the reactive oxygen species （ROS）, the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and the activity of caspase-3 in each group were detected by spectrofluorometer. Results Treatment of PC12 cells with MPP^＋ caused the loss of cell viability, which may be associated with the elevation in apoptotic rate, the formation of ROS and the disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential. It was also shown that MPP＋ significantly induced the upregulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and the activation of caspase-3. In contrast, EPO significantly reversed these responses and had the maximum protective effect at 1 U/mL. Conclusion The inhibitive effect of EPO on the MPP^＋ -induced cytotoxicity may be ascribed to its anti-oxidative property and anti-apoptotic activity, and EPO may provide a useful therapeutic strategy for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson＇s disease.

Involvement of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK in up-regulation of 14-3-3 protein induced by hydrogen peroxide preconditioning in PC12 cells

Objective To investigate the protective effects of hydrogen peroxide preconditioning （HPP） on the pheochromocytoma （PC12） cells treated with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium （MPP^＋） and to explore the potential mechanisms. Methods The viability and apoptosis of PC 12 cells were determinded by 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay and 4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole （DAPI） staining, respectively. The expressions of 14-3-3 protein and phospholylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） were determined by Western blot. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the activity of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）. Results The cell viability decreased and the number of apoptotic cells increased dramatically in MPP^＋ group compared with that in Control group. HPP induced a significant increase in cell viability and a marked decrease in population of apoptotic cells of the MPP^＋- treated PC 12 cells, accompanied with up-regulation of 14-3-3 protein and increase of ERK 1/2 and p38 MAPK activities. The 14-3-3 protein expression was positively correlated with the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Furthermore, inhibition of the ERK1/2 with PD98059 abolished the 14-3-3 protein up-regulation in PC 12 cells induced by HPP. Conclusion HPP protects PC 12 cells against MPP＋ toxicity by up-regulating 14-3-3 protein expression through the ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

Role of Notch-1 signaling pathway in PC12 cell apoptosis induced by amyloid beta-peptide(25–35)

Recent studies have demonstrated that Notch-1 expression is increased in the hippocampus of Alzheimer＇s disease patients. We speculate that Notch-1 signaling may be involved in PC12 cell apoptosis induced by amyloid beta-peptide （25-35） （Aβ25-35）. In the present study, PC12 cells were cultured with different doses （0, 0.1, 1.0, 10 and 100 nmol/L） of N-[N-（3,5-Difluorophenacetyl）-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester, a Notch-1 signaling pathway inhibitor, for 30 minutes. Then cultured cells were induced with Aβ25-3s for 48 hours. Pretreatment of PC12 cells with high doses of N-[N-（3,5-Difluorophenacetyl）-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester （〉 10 nmol/L） prolonged the survival of PC12 cells after Aβ25-35 induction, decreased the expression of apoptosis-related proteins caspase-3, -8, -9, increased the activity of oxidative stress-related superoxide dismutase and catalase, inhibited the production of active oxygen, and reduced nuclear factor kappa B expression. This study indicates that the Notch-1 signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in Aβ25-35-induced PC12 apoptosis.

Effect of a Nerve Graft Substitute Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes on Rat Pheochromocytoma Cells

Carbon nanotubes （CNTs） were extensively explored for their beneficial use in nervous system tissue engineering. However, an important concern regarding the use of CNTs is their toxicity during the interaction between cells and the nano particles. The rat pheochromocytoma cell line （PC12） was co-cultured with three types of single-walled carbon nanotubes （SWNTs）, purified raw SWNTs （C）, hydroxyl purified SWNTs （C-OH） and carboxyl purified SWNTs （C-COOH） at 25 μg/mL and 100 μg/ml. The experimental results revealed that SWNTs at the concentration below 100 μg/mL did not affect the cell viability. Notably, powerful antioxidant system in nerous system tissue is able to counteract with the toxicity of CNTs, which is characterized by the prominently enhanced expression of main antioxidant enzymes （catalase （CAT）, superoxide dismutase （SOD）, glutathione peroxidase （GPx） and glutathione-S-transferase （GST））. Therefore, we believe that CNTs can be good candidates for the fabrication of biomedical scaffolds for the nerve tissue repair.

Protection of PC12 Cells against Superoxide-induced Damage by Isoflavonoids from Astragalus mongholicus

Objective To further investigate the neuroprotective effects of five isoflavonoids from Astragalus mongholicus on xanthine （XA）/xanthine oxidase （XO）-induced injury to PC12 cells. Methods PC12 cells were damaged by XA/XO. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, MTT, LDH, and GSH assays were used to evaluate the protection of these five isofavonoids. Contents of Bcl-2 family proteins were determined with flow cytometry. Results Among the five isoflavonoids including formononetin, ononin, 9, 10-dimethoxypterocarpan-3-O-β-D-glucoside, calycosin and calycosin-7-O-glucoside, calycosin and calycosin-7-O-glucoside were found to inhibit XA/XO-induced injury to PC12 cells. Their ECs0values of formononetin and calycosin were 0.05 μg/mL. Moreover, treatment with these three isoflavonoids prevented a decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase （SOD） and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）, while formononetin and calycosin could prevent a significant deletion of GSH. In addition, only calycosin and calycosin-7-O-glucoside were shown to inhibit XO activity in cell-free system, with an approximate IC50 value of 10 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL. Formononetin and calycosin had no significant infuence on Bcl-2 or Bax protein contents. Conclusion Neuroprotection of formononetin, calycosin and calycosin-7-O-glucoside may be mediated by increasing endogenous antioxidants, rather by inhibiting XO activities or by scavenging free radicals.

Edaravone protects PC12 cells from ischemic-like injury via attenuating the damage to mitochondria

Background： Edaravone had been validated to effectively protect against ischemic injuries. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of edaravone by observing the effects on anti-apoptosis, regulation of Bcl-2/Bax protein expression and recovering from damage to mitochondria after OGD （oxygen-glucose deprivation）-reperfusion. Methods： Viability of PC 12 cells which were injured at different time of OGD injury, was quantified by measuring MTT （2-（4,5-dimethylthia-zol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide） staining. In addition, PC 12 cells＇ viability was also quantified after their preincubation in different concentration of edaravone for 30 min followed by （OGD）. Furthermore, apoptotic population of PC 12 cells that reinsulted from OGD-reperfusion with or without preincubation with edaravone was determined by flow cytometer analysis, electron microscope and Hoechst/Pl staining. Finally, change of Bcl-2/Bax protein expression was detected by Western blot. Results： （1） The viability of PC12 cells decreased with time （1-12 h） after OGD. We regarded the model of OGD 2 h, then replacing DMEM （Dulbecco＇s Modified Eagle＇s Medium） for another 24 h as an OGD-reperfusion in this research. Furthermore, most PC 12 cells were in the state of apoptosis after OGD-reperfusion. （2） The viability of PC 12 cells preincubated with edaravone at high concentrations （1, 0.1, 0.01 μmol/L） increased significantly with edaravone protecting PC 12 cells from apoptosis after OGD-reperfusion injury. （3） Furthermore, edaravone attenuates the damage of OGD-reperfusion on mitochondria and regulated Bcl-2/Bax protein imbalance expression after OGD-reperfusion. Conclusion： Neuroprotective effects of edaravone on ischemic or other brain injuries may be partly mediated through inhibition of Bcl-2/Bax apoptotic pathways by recovering from the damage of mitochondria.

Enzyme-digested Colla Corii Asini(E’jiao) prevents hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death and accelerates amyloid beta clearance in neuronal-like PC12 cells

As an aging-associated degenerative disease,Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the deposition of amyloid beta(Aβ),oxidative stress,inflammation,dysfunction and loss of cholinergic neurons.Colla Corii Asini(CCA)is a traditional Chinese medicine which has been used for feebleness-related diseases and anti-aging.CCA might delay aging-induced degenerative changes in neurons.In the present study,we evaluated antioxidant activity,cytoprotective effects,and Aβremovability of enzyme-digested Colla Corii Asini(CCAD).Oxygen radical absorbance capacity(ORAC)activity assay showed that,as compared to gelatins from the skin of porcine,bovine and cold water fish,CCA exhibited the highest ORAC activity.The ORAC activity of CCA and CCAD was increased gradually by the length of time in storage.Ultrastructure analysis by scanning electron microscopy showed that among CCA manufactured in 2008,2013,2017 and gelatin from cold water fish skin,CCA manufactured in 2008 presented the smoothest surface structure.We further tested the protective effects of CCAD(manufactured in 2008)and enzyme-digested gelatin from cold water fish skin(FGD)on hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)-induced cell death in nerve growth factor-differentiated neuronal-like PC12 cells.Presto blue assay showed that both FGD and CCAD at 0.5 mg/m L increased cell viability in H2O2-treated neuronal-like PC12 cells.The protection of CCAD was significantly superior to that of FGD.Acetylcholinesterase(Ach E)assay showed that both FGD and CCAD inhibited Ach E activity in nerve growth factor-differentiated neuronal-like PC12 cells to 89.1%and 74.5%of that in non-treated cells,respectively.The data suggest that CCAD might be able to increase the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.Although CCAD inhibited Ach E activity in neuronal-like PC12 cells,CCAD prevented H2O2-induced abnormal deterioration of Ach E.ELISA and neprilysin activity assay results indicated that CCAD reduced amyloid beta accumulation and increased neprilysin activity in Aβ1–42-treated neuronal-like PC12 cells,suggesting that CCAD can enhance Aβclearance.Our results suggest that CCA might be useful for preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease.

Serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction suppresses glutamate-induced PC12 cell injury

Glutamate application is an established method of inducing PC12 cell injury. PC12 cells were cultured with serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction consisting of moschus, Carthamus tinctonus, Rhizoma chuanxiong, Semen pruni persicae, and Radix Paeoniae Rubra. After 24 hours of co-cultivation, glutamate （12.5 mM） was added to the culture medium. We found that serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction prevented the increase in reactive oxygen species, and the decreases in superoxide dismutase and Na＋-K＋-ATPase activity, induced by glutamate. It also reduced the concentration of malondialdehyde, enhanced the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, inhibited the elevation of cellular calcium, and decreased phosphorylation of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I1. Thus, serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction had protective effects on cell proliferation and membrane permeability in glutamate-injured PC12 cells.

Antioxidative effects of berberine pre-treatment on hydrogen peroxide-induced PC12 cell toxicity

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer＇s disease. Oxidative damage could be prevented by augmenting the endogenous defense capacity against oxidative stress by antioxidant intake. As an effective alkaloid component of Chinese herbal medicine Rhizoma coptidis extract, berberine exhibits antioxidative properties and ameliorates memory impairment in a rat model of Alzheimer＇s disease. The present study investigated the protective effects of berberine on H2O2-induced PC12 cell toxicity. Results demonstrated that berberine protects PC12 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis and increases PC12 cell viability. Lactate dehydrogenase release, reactive oxygen content, and malonyl dialdehyde levels were significantly decreased （P 〈 0.01）. The protective effects of berberine on H2O2-induced PC12 cell toxicity were achieved via the antioxidative effects of berberine.

Cadmium Activates Reactive Oxygen Species-dependent AKT/mT OR and Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathways in Neuronal Cells

Objective To examine the role of Cd-induced reactive oxygen species（ROS） generation in the apoptosis of neuronal cells. Methods Neuronal cells（primary rat cerebral cortical neurons and PC12 cells） were incubated with or without Cd post-pretreatment with rapamycin（Rap） or N-acetyl-L-cysteine（NAC）. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay, apoptosis was examined using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, and the activation of phosphoinositide 3’-kinase/protein kinase B（Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin（m TOR） and mitochondrial apoptotic pathways were measured by western blotting or immunofluorescence assays. Results Cd-induced activation of Akt/m TOR signaling, including Akt, m TOR, p70 S6 kinase（p70 S6K）, and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein 1（4E-BP1）. Rap, an m TOR inhibitor and NAC, a ROS scavenger, blocked Cd-induced activation of Akt/m TOR signaling and apoptosis of neuronal cells. Furthermore, NAC blocked the decrease of B-cell lymphoma 2/Bcl-2 associated X protein（Bcl-2/Bax） ratio, release of cytochrome c, cleavage of caspase-3 and poly（ADP-ribose） polymerase（PARP）, and nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor（AIF） and endonuclease G（Endo G）. Conclusion Cd-induced ROS generation activates Akt/m TOR and mitochondrial pathways, leading to apoptosis of neuronal cells. Our findings suggest that m TOR inhibitors or antioxidants have potential for preventing Cd-induced neurodegenerative diseases.

Neuroprotective Effects of Dexmedetomidine Preconditioning on Oxygen-glucose Deprivation-reoxygenation Injury in PC12 Cells via Regulation of Ca^2+-STIM1/Orail Signaling

Summary:Dexmedetomidine(DEX),a potent and highly selective agonist for a2-adrenergic receptors(a2AR),exerts neuroprotective effects by reducing apoptosis through decreased neuronal Ca^2+influx.However,the exact action mechanism of DEX and its effects on oxygen-glucose deprivation-reoxygenation(OGD/R)injury in vitro are unknown.We demonstrate that DEX pretreatment reduced OGD/R injury in PC12 cells,as evidenced by decreased oxidative stress,autophagy,and neuronal apoptosis.Specifically,DEX pretreatment decreased the expression levels of stromal interaction molecule 1(STIM1)and calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1(Orail),and reduced the concentration of intracellular calcium pools.In addition,variations in cytosolic calcium concentration altered apoptosis rate of PC12 cells after exposure to hypoxic conditions,which were modulated through STIM 1/Orail signaling.Moreover,DEX pretreatment decreased the expression levels of Beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3(LC3),hallmark markers of autophagy,and the formation of autophagosomes.In conclusion,these results suggested that DEX exerts neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress,autophagy,and neuronal apoptosis afier OGD/R injury via modulation of Caf-STIM1/Orai1 signaling.Our results offer insights into the molecular mechanisms of DEX in protecting against neuronal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Effects of serum containing natural cerebrolysin on glucose-regulated protein 78 and CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein expression in neuronal PC12 cells following tunicamycin-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress

BACKGROUND： Glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）, a marker of endoplasmic reticulum stress, can prolong cell survival. Alternatively, CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP）, a transcription factor specific for endoplasmic reticulum stress, can cause cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. OBJECTIVE： To study the protective effects of serum containing natural cerebrolysin on endoplasmic reticulum stress in tunicamycin-induced neuronal PC12 cells, and analyze the influence on GRP78 and CHOP expressions. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A parallel controlled study was performed at the Institute of Integrated Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, between March 2006 and August 2008. MATERIALS： Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were perfused with natural Cerebrolysin aqueous extract （0.185 g/kg/d） to produce serum containing natural Cerebrolysin. Physiological saline was used to produce blank serum. PC12 cell line was provided by Shanghai Institute of Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Science. Tunicamycin was provided by Sigma （St. Louis, USA）, and natural Cerebrolysin, containing ginseng, rhizoma gastrodiae, and gingko leaf （1：2：2）, by Shengzhen Institute of Integrated Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine. METHODS： PC12 cells were treated with DMEM culture media containing 10% blank serum （normal control group）, tunicamycin （1 μg/mL; model group）, and 5%, 10%, and 15% serum containing natural cerebrolysin and tunicamycin （1 μ g/mL; low-, moderate-, and high-dose serum containing natural cerebrotysin groups）, for 2 hours. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： PC12 cells were treated with tunicamycin for 48 hours after which apoptosis was measured using the TUNEL method to calculate apoptotic index. GRP78 expression was detected using immunocytochemistry. After 24 hours of treatment with tunicamycin, GRP78 and CHOP mRNA expressions were measured using RT-PCR. RESULTS： The apoptotic index and CHOP mRNA expression were in the model group and three cerebrolysin groups were significantly increased when compared to the normal control group （P 〈 0.05）. In contrast, GRP78 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly decreased （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： Serum containing natural cerebrolysin significantly reduced apoptosis in neuronal PC12 cells following tunicamycin-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress. These results may be related to an up-regulation of GRP78 expression and down-regulation of CHOP expression, both of which displayed dose-dependent effects.