[Cuscuta chinensis Lam. reduces oxidative injury in Alzheimer's disease model cells]

To investigate the protective effect of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. against oxidative injury in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) cell model, as well as the related molecular mechanism.

Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to analyze and identify the chemical components of Cuscuta chinensis Lam.. An oxidative injury model was established in HT22 neuronal cells treated with Aβ_1-42. Cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay, and apoptosis was detected by Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using the DCFH-DA probe, and the expression of antioxidant- and apoptosis-related proteins was examined by Western blotting.

A total of 381 chemical components were identified from Cuscuta chinensis Lam., among which astragalin, hyperoside, kaempferol, and quercetin were the main constituents. Cell experi-ments showed that Cuscuta chinensis Lam. at concentrations of 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 mg/mL increased the viability of Aβ_1-42‑treated HT22 cells, decreased the apoptosis rate, inhibited ROS excessive accumulation, upregulated the expression of the antioxidant-related proteins heme oxygenase-1 and NQO1, downregulated the expression of the apoptosis-related protein cytochrome C, and reduced the ratios of activated caspase-3/caspase-3 and BAX/Bcl-2.

Cuscuta chinensis Lam. may attenuate oxidative injury in AD model cells by activating the endogenous antioxidant defense system and inhibiting the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway.