Antioxidant Activity and Protective Effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tripterygium regelii</Emphasis> Extract on Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Injury in Human Dopaminergic Cells,SH-SY5Y

The present work was conducted to investigate the antioxidant activity and neuroprotective effects of Tripterygium regelii extract (TRE) on H₂O₂-induced apoptosis in human dopaminergic cells, SH-SY5Y. TRE possessed considerable amounts of phenolics (282.73 mg tannic acid equivalents/g of extract) and flavonoids (101.43 mg naringin equivalents/g of extract). IC₅₀ values for reducing power and DPPH radical scavenging activity were 52.51 and 47.83 μg, respectively. The H₂O₂ scavenging capacity of TRE was found to be 57.68 μM × μg⁻¹ min⁻¹. By examining the effects of TRE on SH-SY5Y cells injured by H₂O₂, we found that after incubation of cells with TRE prior to H₂O₂ exposure, the H₂O₂ induced cytotoxicity was significantly reversed and the apoptotic features such as change in cellular morphology, nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation was inhibited. Moreover, TRE was very effective attenuating the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptotic cell death induced by H₂O₂. TRE extract effectively suppressed the up-regulation of Bax, Caspase-3 and -9, and down-regulation of Bcl-2. Moreover, TRE pretreatment evidently increased the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in SH-SY5Y cells. These findings demonstrate that TRE protects SH-SY5Y cells against H₂O₂-induced injury and antioxidant properties may account for its neuroprotective actions and suggest that TRE might potentially serve as an agent for prevention of neurodegenerative disease associated with oxidative stress.     

Indirubin-3-Oxime Prevents H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Induced Neuronal Apoptosis via Concurrently Inhibiting GSK3β and the ERK Pathway

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis plays an important role in many neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we have shown that indirubin-3-oxime, a derivative of indirubin originally designed for leukemia therapy, could prevent hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced apoptosis in both SH-SY5Y cells and primary cerebellar granule neurons. H₂O₂ exposure led to the increased activities of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in SH-SY5Y cells. Indirubin-3-oxime treatment significantly reversed the altered activity of both the PI3-K/Akt/GSK3β cascade and the ERK pathway induced by H₂O₂. In addition, both GSK3β and mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors significantly prevented H₂O₂-induced neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, specific inhibitors of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K) abolished the neuroprotective effects of indirubin-3-oxime against H₂O₂-induced neuronal apoptosis. These results strongly suggest that indirubin-3-oxime prevents H₂O₂-induced apoptosis via concurrent inhibiting GSK3β and the ERK pathway in SH-SY5Y cells, providing support for the use of indirubin-3-oxime to treat neurodegenerative disorders caused or exacerbated by oxidative stress.     

Neuroprotective Effects of Ugonin K on Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Cell Death in Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathological processes of various neurodegenerative diseases. Ugonin K, a flavonoid isolated from the rhizomes of Helminthostachys zeylanica, possesses potent antioxidant property. In this study, we investigate the neuroprotective effects of ugonin K on hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. Incubation of SH-SY5Y cells with H₂O₂ for 24 h induced cell death measured with MTT assay. Hoechst 33258 staining confirmed that the reduced cell viability by H₂O₂ was due to apoptosis. In addition, H₂O₂ increased the expression of 17-kDa cleaved fragment of caspase-3 which could be reversed by pretreatment with ugonin K. Pretreatment with ugonin K attenuated H₂O₂-induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Neuroprotective effect of ugonin K was abolished by ERK and PI3K inhibitors. Pretreatment with JNK kinase and p38 MAPK inhibitors had no effect on ugonin K-mediated protection against H₂O₂-induced apoptosis. Western blotting with anti-phospho-ERK1/2 and anti-phospho-Akt (pS473) antibodies showed that ugonin K increased both ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation. These results suggest that ugonin K by activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt signal pathways protects SH-SY5Y cells from H₂O₂-induced apoptosis.     

Protective effect of augmenter of liver regeneration on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells

Background: Hydrogen peroxide, as other reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during redox processes, induces lipid membrane peroxidation and protein degeneration causing cell apoptosis. ROS are recently considered as messengers in cell signalling processes, which, through reversible protein disulphide bridges formation, activate regulatory factors of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Disulphide bridges formation is catalysed by sulphydryl oxidase enzymes.

Aim: The neuroprotective effect of ALR protein (Alrp), a sulphydryl oxidase enzyme, on H₂O₂-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells has been evaluated.

Methods: Cell viability, flow cytometric evaluation of apoptotic cells, fluorescent changes of nuclear morphology, immunocytochemistry Alrp detection, Western blot evaluation of mitochondrial cyt c release and mitochondrial swelling were determined.

Results: Alrp prevents the H₂O₂-induced cell viability loss, apoptotic cell death and mitochondrial swelling in SH-SY5Y cells in culture.

Conclusions: The data demonstrate that Alrp improves SH-SY5Y cells survival in H₂O₂-induced apoptosis. It is speculated that this effect could be related to the Alrp enzymatic activity.     

Dosage effects of EGb761 on hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death in SH-SY5Y cells

Standardized extract from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree, labeled EGb761, is one of the most popular herbal supplements, taken for its multivalent properties. In this study, dosage effects of EGb761 on hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced apoptosis of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were investigated. It was found that H₂O₂-induced apoptotic cell death in SH-SY5Y cells, which was revealed in DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and activation of Akt, c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and caspase 3. Low doses of EGb761 (50–100 μg/ml) inhibited H₂O₂-induced cell apoptosis via inactivation of Akt, JNK and caspase 3 while high doses of EGb761 (250–500 μg/ml) enhanced H₂O₂ toxicities via inactivation of Akt and enhancement of activation of JNK and caspase 3. Additional experiments revealed that H₂O₂ decreased intracellular GSH content, which was also inhibited by low concentrations of EGb761 but enhanced after high concentrations of EGb761 treatment. This further suggests to us that dosage effects of EGb761 on apoptotic signaling proteins may be correlated with regulation of cell redox state. Therefore, treatment dosage may be one of the vital factors that determine the specific action of EGb761 on oxidative stress-induced cell apoptosis. To understand the mechanisms of dosage effects of EGb761 may have important clinical implications.     

Neuroprotective effects of aucubin on hydrogen peroxide-induced toxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway

BackgroundWhen redox balance is lost in the brain, oxidative stress can cause serious damage that leads to neuronal loss, in congruence with neurodegenerative diseases. Aucubin (AU) is an iridoid glycoside and that is one of the active constituents of Eucommia ulmoides, has many pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammation, anti-liver fibrosis, and anti-atherosclerosis.PurposeThe present study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of AU on cell oxidative stress against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced injury in SH-SY5Y cells in vitro.MethodsSH-SY5Y cells were simultaneously treated with AU and H₂O₂ for 24 h. Cell viability was measured by CCK-8. Additionally, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and cell apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry.ResultsThe results showed that AU can significantly increase the H₂O₂-induced cell viability and the mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease the ROS generation, malondialdehyde (MDA), and increase glutathione (GSH) contents and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. We also found that H₂O₂ stimulated the production of nitric oxide (NO), which could be reduced by treatment with AU through inhibiting the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression. In H₂O₂-induced SH-SY5Y cells, the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) content and cell apoptosis were significantly reduced by AU treatment through nuclear factor E2-related factor 2/hemo oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1) activation, inhibiting the expression of p-NF-κB/NF-κB and down-regulating MAPK and Bcl-2/Bax pathways.ConclusionThese results indicate that AU can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress through the NF-κB, Nrf2/HO-1, and MAPK pathways.     

Neuroprotective Effects of Phenolic and Carboxylic Acids on Oxidative Stress-Induced Toxicity in Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells

An increase in oxidative stress is a key factor responsible for neurotoxicity induction and cell death leading to neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Plant phenolics exert diverse bioactivities i.e., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Herein, phenolic compounds, namely protocatechuic aldehyde (PCA) constituents of Hydnophytum formicarum Jack. including vanillic acid (VA) and trans-ferulic acid (FA) found in Spilanthes acmella Murr., were explored for anti-neurodegenerative properties using an in vitro model of oxidative stress-induced neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Exposure of the neuronal cells with H₂O₂ resulted in the decrease of cell viability, but increasing in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) together with morphological changes and inducing cellular apoptosis. SH-SY5Y cells pretreated with 5 µM of PCA, VA, and FA were able to attenuate cell death caused by H₂O₂-induced toxicity, as well as decreased ROS level and apoptotic cells after 24 h of treatment. Pretreated SH-SY5Y cells with phenolic compounds also helped to upregulate H₂O₂-induced depletion of the expressions of sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) and forkhead box O (FoxO) 3a as well as induce the levels of antioxidant (superoxide dismutase (SOD) 2 and catalase) and antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) proteins. The findings suggest that these phenolics might be promising compounds against neurodegeneration.     

The role of insulin against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damages in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells

Abstract

Exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) can easily penetrate into biological membranes and enhance the formation of other reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present study, we have investigated the neuroprotective effects of insulin on H₂O₂-induced toxicity of retinoic acid (RA)-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. To measure the changes in the cell viability of SH-SY5Y cells at different concentrations of H₂O₂ for 24?h, a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT)-based assay was used and a 100?µM H₂O₂ was selected to establish a model of H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress. Further assays showed that 24?h of 100?µM H₂O₂-induced significant changes in the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), nitric oxide (NO), ROS, and calcium ion (Ca²⁺) in neuronal cells, but insulin can effectively diminish the H₂O₂-induced oxidative damages to these cells. Moreover, cells treated with insulin increased H₂O₂-induced suppression of glutathione levels and exerted an apparent suppressive effect on oxidative products. The results of insulin treatment with SH-SY5Y cells increased the Bcl-2 levels and decreased the Akt levels. The treatment of insulin had played a protective effect on H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress related to the Akt/Bcl-2 pathways.     

Hydrogen peroxide-induced neuronal apoptosis is associated with inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A and 5, leading to activation of MAPK pathway

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis is a prominent feature found in neurodegenerative disorders. However, how oxidative stress induces neuronal apoptosis is not well understood. To address this question, undifferentiated and differentiated neuronal cell lines (PC12 and SH-SY5Y) were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), a major oxidant generated when oxidative stress occurs. We observed that H₂O₂ induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to apoptosis of the cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. H₂O₂ rapidly activated the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) including extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38. Inhibition of Erk1/2, JNK or p38 with kinase inhibitors (U0126, SP600125 or PD169316, respectively), downregulation of Erk1/2 or p38 using RNA interference, or expression of dominant negative c-Jun partially prevented H₂O₂-induced apoptosis. Pretreatment with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) scavenged H₂O₂-induced ROS, blocking activation of MAPKs and cell death. Furthermore, we found that H₂O₂-induced ROS inhibited serine/threonine protein phosphatases 2A (PP2A) and 5 (PP5), which was abrogated by NAC. Overexpression of PP2A or PP5 partially prevented H₂O₂-activation of Erk/12, JNK and p38, as well as cell death. Similar results were observed in primary murine neurons as well. The results suggest that H₂O₂-induction of ROS inhibit PP2A and PP5, leading to activation of Erk1/2, JNK and p38 pathways thereby resulting in neuronal apoptosis. Our findings suggest that inhibitors of MAPKs (JNK, Erk1/2 and p38), activators of phosphatases (PP2A and PP5) or antioxidants may have potentials to prevent and treat oxidative stress-induced neurodegenerative diseases.     

Cytoprotective Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Valeriana officinalis</Emphasis> Extract on an In Vitro Experimental Model of Parkinson Disease

Parkinson′s disease (PD) is one of the most important neurodegenerative worldwide disorders. The potential cytoprotective effects of aqueous extract of Valeriana officinalis on rotenone-induced apoptosis in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were demonstrated. The cytotoxicity, cell viability and analysis of cellular morphology were performed by MTT-tetrazole (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and phase contrast microscopy, respectively. Significant changes in the cellular morphology, and condensation of the cell body could be observed when cells were treated with 300 nM rotenone for 48 h. Three different concentrations of Valeriana officinalis extract were used (0.049, 0.098 and 0.195 mg/mL). These extracts brought about an increase of 7.0 ± 1.3%, 14.5 ± 1.3% and 14.5 ± 3.2% in cell viability. Our results indicated that neuroprotector action of the Valeriana officinalis extract provides support for later studies as they help understanding this drug for the development of cytoprotective various therapies in PD.     

Identification,characterization and in vitro neuroprotection of N6-(4-hydroxybenzyl) adenine riboside and its metabolites

N⁶-(4-hydroxybenzyl) adenine riboside (NHBA), isolated from Gastrodia elata Blume, has been demonstrated to show great pharmacological effects. The present study aimed to synthesize and identify the metabolites of NHBA, and to determine their neuroprotective potentials in vitro. After incubation with rat liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH, two metabolites were detected, which were further semisynthesized and identified as N⁶-(4-hydroxylbenzyl) purine (NHBP) and N⁶-(3,4-dihydroxylbenzyl) adenine riboside (ONHBA) by UPLC-QTOF-MS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. Furthermore, the neuroprotective activities of NHBA and two metabolites were evaluated in SH-SY5Y cells. Our results demonstrated that NHBA substantially protected against H₂O₂-induced neuronal death in SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, both ONHBA and NHBP could significantly prevent Aβ oligomers- and H₂O₂-induced neuronal death in SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggested that NHBA and its metabolites, ONHBA and NHBP, might be suitable for the development of new drugs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease in particular.     

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Enhances Susceptibility to Oxidative Stress by Down-Regulation of Thioredoxin in Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Increasing evidence suggests that Alzheimer’s disease is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage. To develop a cellular model of Alzheimer’s disease, we investigated the effects of thioredoxin (Trx) expression in the response to mitochondrial dysfunction-enhanced oxidative stress in the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with 15 mM of NaN₃, an inhibitor of cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV), led to alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential but no significant changes in cell viability. Therefore, cells were first treated with 15 mM NaN₃ to induce mitochondrial dysfunction, then, exposed to different concentrations of H₂O₂. Cell susceptibility was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay and morphological observation. Expressions of Trx mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR; and Western-blot analysis, respectively. It was found that the SH-SY5Y cells with mitochondrial impairment had lower levels of Trx mRNA and protein, and were significantly more vulnerable than the normal cells after exposure to H₂O₂ while no significant changes of Trx mRNA and protein in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to H₂O₂ but without mitochondrial complex IV inhibition. These results, together with our previous study in primary cultured neurons, demonstrated that the increased susceptibility to oxidative stress is induced at least in part by the down-regulation of Trx in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells with mitochondrial impairment and also suggest the mitochondrial dysfunction-enhanced oxidative stress could be used as a cellular model to study the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and agents for prevention and treatment.     

Hydroalcoholic Extract of Cyperus rotundus Ameliorates H2O2-Induced Human Neuronal Cell Damage via Its Anti-oxidative and Anti-apoptotic Machinery

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), a major reactive oxygen species produced during oxidative stress, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of various neurodegenerative conditions. Cyperus rotundus is a traditional medicinal herb that has recently found applications in food and confectionary industries. In the current study, the neuroprotective effects of Cyperus rotundus rhizome extract (CRE) through its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic machinery to attenuate H₂O₂-induced cell damage on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells have been explored. The results obtained demonstrate that pretreatment of cells with CRE for 2 h before administration of H₂O₂ for 24 h ameliorates the cytotoxicity induced by H₂O₂ as evidenced by MTT and LDH assays. CRE exhibited potent antioxidant activity by regulating the enzymes/proteins levels such as SOD, CAT, GPx, GR, HSP-70, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2. The pretreatment restored H₂O₂-induced cellular, nuclear, and mitochondrial morphologies as well as increased the expression of Brain derived nerve growth factor (BDNF). The anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic potentials of the plant extract may account for its high content of phenolics, flavonoids, and other active principles. Taken together, our findings suggest that CRE might be developed as an agent for neurodegeneration prevention or therapy.     

Increase of autophagy and attenuation of apoptosis by Salvigenin promote survival of SH-SY5Y cells following treatment with H2O2

Oxidative stress is a major component of harmful cascades activated in neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we tried to elucidate the possible neuroprotective effect of Salvigenin, a natural polyphenolic compound, on oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and autophagy in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. We measured cell viability by MTT test and found that 25?μM is the best protective concentration of Salvigenin. GSH and SOD assays suggested that Salvigenin activates antioxidant factors. At the same time, measurement of ER stress-associated proteins including calpain and caspase-12 showed the ability of Salvigenin to decrease ER stress. We found that Salvigenin could decrease the apoptotic factors. Salvigenin inhibited H₂O₂-induced caspase-3 which is a hallmark of apoptosis in addition to reducing Bax\Bcl-2 ratio by 1.45 fold. Additionally, Salvigenin increased the levels of autophagic factors. Our results showed an increase in LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, Atg7, and Atg12 in the presence of 25?μM of Salvigenin by about 1.28, 1.25, and 1.54 folds, respectively, compared to H₂O₂-treated cells. So it seems that H₂O₂ cytotoxicity mainly results from apoptosis. Besides, Salvigenin helps cells to survive by inhibiting apoptosis and enhancing autophagy that opens a new horizon for the future experiments.     

Neuroprotective effects of mercaptoethylleonurine and mercaptoethylguanidine analogs on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells

A series of mercaptoethylleonurine and mercaptoethylguanidine derivatives were designed and synthesized. Their neuroprotective effects toward H₂O₂-induced apoptosis were investigated in human SH-SY5Y cells. The results from these studies identified several potent compounds, with compound 8k emerging as the most effective. Further investigation demonstrated that 8k reduced H₂O₂-induced activation of mitochondrial apoptosis by inhibiting the expression of Bax and elevating the expression of Bcl-2. Moreover, the molecular mechanism underlying the observed neuroprotective effects of 8k was exerted via the Akt and JNK pathways. Compound 8k can be a lead compound for further discovery of neuroprotective medicine.     

Honokiol ameliorates oxidative stress-induced DNA damage and apoptosis of c2c12 myoblasts by ROS generation and mitochondrial pathway

ABSTRACT

Honokiol is one of the main active components of Magnolia officinalis, and has been demonstrated to have multiple pharmacological activities against a variety of diseases. Recently, this phenolic compound is known to have antioxidant activity, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the preventive effects of honokiol against oxidative stress-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in C2C12 myoblasts. The present study found that honokiol inhibited hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction, while reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. The inhibitory effect of honokiol on H₂O₂-induced apoptosis was associated with the up-regulation of Bcl-2 and down-regulation of Bax, thus reducing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio that in turn protected the activation of caspase-9 and -3, and inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, which was associated with the blocking of cytochrome c release to the cytoplasm. Collectively, these results demonstrate that honokiol defends C2C12 myoblasts against H₂O₂-induced DNA damage and apoptosis, at least in part, by preventing mitochondrial-dependent pathway through scavenging excessive ROS.     

Saikosaponin-D Reduces H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Induced PC12 Cell Apoptosis by Removing ROS and Blocking MAPK-Dependent Oxidative Damage

Neuronal oxidative stress (OS) injury has been proven to be associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, and thus, antioxidation treatment is an effective method for treating these diseases. Saikosaponin-D (SSD) is a sapogenin extracted from Bupleurum falcatum and has been shown to have many pharmacological activities. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether and how SSD protects PC12 cells from H₂O₂-induced apoptosis. The non-toxic level of SSD significantly mitigated the H₂O₂-induced decrease in cell viability, reduced the apoptosis rate, improved the nuclear morphology, and reduced caspase-3 activation and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Additionally, exogenous H₂O₂-induced apoptosis by damaging the intracellular antioxidation system. SSD significantly slowed the H₂O₂-induced release of malonic dialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the total antioxidant capacity, thereby reducing apoptosis. More importantly, SSD effectively blocked H₂O₂-induced phosphorylation of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), and specific inhibitors of ERK, JNK, and p38-reduced OS injury and apoptosis, suggesting that SSD reduces OS injury and apoptosis via MAPK signalling pathways. Finally, we confirmed that SSD significantly reduced H₂O₂-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and the ROS inhibitor blocked the apoptosis caused by MAPK activation and cellular oxidative damage. In short, our study confirmed that SSD reduces H₂O₂-induced PC12 cell apoptosis by removing ROS and blocking MAPK-dependent oxidative damage.     

Eclalbasaponin I causes mitophagy to repress oxidative stress-induced apoptosis via activation of p38 and ERK in SH-SY5Y cells

Oxidative stress accompanying excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial dysfunction leads to the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases. Our previous study showed that Eclalbasaponin I (EcI), a triterpene saponin isolated from Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. (A. elata), repressed oxidative stress in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. However, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. In this study, pretreatment with EcI in SH-SY5Y cells significantly activated the p38-mitogenactivated protein kinase (p38), the extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), whereas it did not affect the c-jun NH2 terminal kinases (JNK). In accordance with the initial findings, EcI-induced neuroprotective effect was attenuated by SB203580 (SB, a p38 inhibitor) or FR180204 (FR, an ERK inhibitor), being further confirmed by specific small interfering RNA (siRNA). Inhibition of either p38 or ERK up-regulated the apoptosis induction in EcI- and H₂O₂-cotreated cells. Furthermore, p38 or ERK suppression enhanced intracellular and mitochondrial ROS generation, decreased the activities of endogenous antioxidant defences as well as the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), resulting in dysfunction of mitochondria. In addition, EcI-induced autophagy and mitophagy were obviously down-regulated when p38 or ERK activation was blocked. Cumulatively, these findings supported that EcI-caused mitophagy contributed to the neuroprotective effect through p38 or ERK activation. Mitophagy induction might be an effective therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative diseases.