Eerdun Wurile protects neuron and promotes neurite outgrowth through regulation of apoptotic gene expression in PC-12 cells

Abstract

Eerdun Wurile (EW) is one of the most widely used traditional Mongolian medicines for stroke recovery. Previous studies revealed that EW regulates brain gene expression in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). However, the fraction of active components and the specific genes regulated by such fractions have not been elucidated clearly. The study shows that the extracts of EW regulate the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress and apoptosis in rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells. Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2)-induced cell death was reversed by EW extracts, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was reduced, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as well as catalase (CAT) activity increased significantly. Moreover, the expression of Bcl-2, PARP and NF-kB p65 was upregulated by EW extract, while Bax was downregulated. Similarly, caspase 9 and Jnk was remarkably downregulated by EW extracts. Significantly, EW extracts promoted the neurite outgrowth of PC-12 cells. Our data collectively suggested that EW contains active fractions that regulate the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, which may contribute to the neural protection effect of EW.