Aqueous extract of the Chinese medicine, Danggui-Shaoyao-San, inhibits apoptosis in hydrogen peroxide-induced PC12 cells by preventing cytochrome c release and inactivating of caspase cascade.

Abstract

Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS), a traditional Chinese medicine used for centuries for the enhancement of women's health, has been shown to display therapeutic efficacy on senile dementia. In the present study, using a rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell line, the effect of DSS on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced apoptosis was studied. The apoptosis in H2O2-induced PC12 cells was accompanied by downregulation of Bcl-2, upregulation of Bax, the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into cytosol, and sequential activation of caspase-9 and -3. DSS was able to suppress all these changes and eventually protected against H2O2-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that treatment of PC12 cells with DSS can block H2O2-induced apoptosis by the regulation of Bcl-2 family members, as well as suppression of cytochrome c release and caspase cascade activation.

• Authors: Yun-fei Qian, Hua Wang, Wen-bing Yao, Xiang-dong Gao
• Journal: Cell biology international (Cell Biol Int) Vol. 32 Issue 2 Pg. 304-11 (Feb 2008) ISSN: 1065-6995 [Print] England
• PMID: 18093848 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Oxidants
• Plant Extracts
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
• bcl-2-Associated X Protein
• Cytochromes c
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Caspases

Topics

• Alzheimer Disease (drug therapy)
• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Caspases (metabolism)
• Cell Survival
• Cytochromes c (metabolism)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (chemistry, metabolism, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Enzyme Activation
• Female
• Humans
• Hydrogen Peroxide (pharmacology)
• Medicine, Chinese Traditional
• Oxidants (pharmacology)
• PC12 Cells
• Plant Extracts (chemistry, metabolism, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 (metabolism)
• Rats
• bcl-2-Associated X Protein (metabolism)