title: Antrodia camphorata prevents rat pheochromocytoma cells from serum deprivation-induced apoptosis.
abstract: Antrodia camphorata (A. camphorata) is a rare medicinal fungus with antioxidative, vasorelaxtative, anti-inflammatory and anti-hepatitive effects. However, the neuroprotective effect has not been studied. By using serum deprivation-induced apoptosis in neuronal-like PC12 cells as a cell stress model, we found that A. camphorata is effective in preventing serum-deprived apoptosis. Inhibitors of both a serine/threonine kinase and a specific protein kinase A (PKA) inhibited the protective effect of A. camphorata, indicating that A. camphorata prevents serum-deprived PC12 cell apoptosis through a PKA-dependent mechanism. A transcription inhibitor, actinomycin D, and a protein synthesis inhibitor, cyclohexamide, both attenuated the protective effect of A. camphorata, indicating a requirement for gene expression for protection by A. camphorata. On the other hand, A. camphorata also increased phosphorylated CREB, a transcription factor, which is H-89-inhibitable in this study, suggesting the possibility that A. camphorata prevents serum deprivation-induced PC12 cell apoptosis through a PKA/CREB-dependent pathway.
authors.affiliation: National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, No. 155-1, Li-Nung St., Sec. 2, Shih-Pai, Peitou, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Nai-Kuei
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jing-Jy
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Wen-Lin
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Mei-Kuang
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010766:Phosphorylation; D020072:Polyporales / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D003609:Dactinomycin; D003513:Cycloheximide; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases