title: Sauchinone, a lignan from Saururus chinensis, inhibits staurosporine-induced apoptosis in C6 rat glioma cells.
abstract: Neuronal apoptosis may contribute to pathologic neuronal loss in certain disease states such as neurodegenerative diseases. Staurosporine (ST), a nonselective protein kinase inhibitor, has been shown to induce apoptosis in a variety of cells including nerve cell lines. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of sauchinone, which is a unique lignan from Saururus chinensis, on ST-induced apoptosis in C6 rat glioma cells. Sauchinone attenuated ST-induced apoptosis of C6 glioma cells as evidenced by DNA fragmentation. We also provide evidence that the inhibitory effect of sauchinone on ST-induced apoptosis involves a dose-dependent upregulation of an antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-2. Mounting evidence shows that the activation of caspases, especially caspase-3, triggers the apoptotic process. The activity of caspase-3 of ST-pretreated cells was significantly decreased upon sauchinone treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, the data demonstrate that sauchinone protects C6 glioma cells from ST-induced apoptosis in a caspase-3 dependent manner. Our findings may be critical for developing a strategy to protect nerve cells from apoptosis, suggesting the potential development of sauchinone as a neuroprotective agent.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women's University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Young Choong
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Aree
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017705:Lignans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D032134:Saururaceae; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001578:Benzopyrans; D004149:Dioxoles; D017705:Lignans; C410958:sauchinone; D019311:Staurosporine