Protective effect of paeoniflorin on Aβ25-35-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction

Ke Wang1, Ling Zhu, Xue Zhu

  • 1Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Ministry of Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi, 214063, Jiangsu Province, China, nypd0723@gmail.com.

Insights

Paeoniflorin (PF) protects against amyloid-beta-induced neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease models. This compound reduces cell death, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction, offering potential therapeutic benefits for Alzheimer's disease.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of neurodegeneration, characterized by neuronal loss.
  • Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide-induced cytotoxicity is a key factor contributing to neuronal damage in AD.
  • Developing effective treatments to counteract Aβ toxicity is crucial for managing Alzheimer's disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neuroprotective effects of paeoniflorin (PF) against Aβ25-35-induced cytotoxicity.
  • To evaluate PF's impact on cell viability, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in neuronal cells.
  • To examine PF's influence on mitochondrial dysfunction and related apoptotic pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells as an in vitro model.
  • Induced cytotoxicity using the Aβ25-35 peptide fragment.
  • Assessed cell viability, apoptosis markers (Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase activity), mitochondrial membrane potential, and ROS levels.
  • Administered paeoniflorin (PF) derived from Radix Paeoniae Alba.

Main Results:

  • Paeoniflorin (PF) significantly attenuated Aβ25-35-induced loss of cell viability.
  • PF reduced Aβ25-35-induced apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
  • PF inhibited mitochondrial dysfunction, including restoring mitochondrial membrane potential and decreasing caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity.
  • PF treatment modulated the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and prevented cytochrome c release.

Conclusions:

  • Paeoniflorin (PF) demonstrates significant neuroprotective effects against Aβ25-35-induced neuronal injury in vitro.
  • PF mitigates neuronal damage by modulating ROS production and inhibiting the apoptotic mitochondrial pathway.
  • These findings suggest paeoniflorin holds promise as a potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease.

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