Baicalin Represses C/EBPβ via Its Antioxidative Effect in Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the gradual loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and the formation of intracellular Lewy bodies (LB) in the brain, which aggregates α-synuclein (α-Syn) as the main component. The interest of flavonoids as potential neuroprotective agents is increasing due to its high efficiency and low side effects. Baicalin is one of the flavonoid compounds, which is a predominant flavonoid isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. However, the key molecular mechanism by which Baicalin can prevent the PD pathogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we used bioinformatic assessment including Gene Ontology (GO) to elucidate the correlation between oxidative stress and PD pathogenesis. RNA-Seq methods were used to examine the global expression profiles of noncoding RNAs and found that C/EBPβ expression was upregulated in PD patients compared with healthy controls. Interestingly, Baicalin could protect DA neurons against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased C/EBPβ and α-synuclein expression in pLVX-Tet3G-α-synuclein SH-SY5Y cells. In a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induced PD mouse model, the results revealed that treatment with Baicalin improved the PD model’s behavioral performance and reduced dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra, associated with the inactivation of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. Hence, our study supported that Baicalin repressed C/EBPβ via redox homeostasis, which may be an effective potential treatment for PD.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal molecular response of anthocyanins biosynthesis in perilla to light intensity

“…Like the malonylshisonin biosynthesis genes, both FSII and UBGT were upregulated under ML treatment compared with WL. In view of luteolin, apigenin and more flavones possess pharmacological effects (Lei et al, 2020;Liang et al, 2020;Rizzo et al, 2021), the results show that strongly accumulated flavones under elevated light treatment, with provided potential application for further research.…”

Effects of Traditional Chinese Medication‐Based Bioactive Compounds on Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress

“…Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity protects against LPS-induced injury by decreasing oxidative stress [59] and represses C/EBPβ via redox homeostasis [60].…”

Role of baicalin as a potential therapeutic agent in hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal disorders: A review

“…Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated different pharmacological properties of baicalin, which include anti-oxidative, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and pro-apoptotic properties. These biological activities can be attributed to the ability of baicalin to target multiple pathways and bind with several signaling molecules[ 15 - 18 ]. In addition, baicalin possesses anti-obese, antidyslipidemia, and pro-apoptotic effects, which help to improve hepatic function after injury, alleviate liver diseases due to alcohol abuse, and promote apoptosis of proliferating hepatocytes[ 19 ].…”