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Updated: Apr 8, 2026
Exploring the Two Herb Combination Strategy to Treat Injured PC12 Cells
Published on: November 18, 2022
Ferulic acid protects PC12 neurons against hypoxia by inhibiting the p-MAPKs and COX-2 pathways
Wen-Chieh Lin1, Yu-Fen Peng2, Chien-Wei Hou3
1Department of Optometry, Yuanpei University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Objectives:
Hypoxia induces cellular oxidative stress that is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Here, the protective effects of ferulic acid (FA) on hypoxia-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells were evaluated.
Materials And Methods:
We investigated the effect of FA on PC12 cells subjected to hypoxia stress, in vitro.
Results:
FA increased cell viability, prevented membrane damage (LDH release), scavenged free radicals, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and attenuated the elevation of intracellular free Ca(2+), lipid peroxidation, apoptosis (evaluated by TUNEL staining) and PGE2 production in hypoxia-stressed PC12 cells. MAPKs were activated during hypoxia. FA reduced p-p38 MAPK, caspase-3, and COX-2 activation which correlated well with diminished LDH release in PC12 cells under hypoxia. Furthermore, FA reduced lipid peroxidation in PC12 cells subjected to hypoxia.
Conclusion:
Taken together, these results indicate that FA antioxidant effects could partly be involved in inhibition of p38 MAPK pathway and apoptosis through scavenging ROS in hypoxia-stressed PC12 cells.
