title: The neuroprotective effects of Lonicera japonica THUNB. against hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis via phosphorylation of MAPKs and PI3K/Akt in SH-SY5Y cells.
abstract: We investigated the neuroprotective effects of Lonicera japonica THUNB. (Caprifoliaceae) (LJ) extract against hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), a toxin created by oxidative stress and implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. We examined the effects of LJ against H(2)O(2)-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the proteolysis of cleaved poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), and the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and cleaved caspase-3. Moreover, we attempted to determine whether LJ suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2). We found that LJ improved cell viability, inhibited cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and attenuated elevations in ROS and nuclear condensation. In addition, LJ showed radical scavenging ability in 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays. Western blot data revealed that LJ inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced up- and down-regulation of cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL. Furthermore, LJ significantly attenuated the H(2)O(2)-induced phosphorylation of Akt, JNK, p38 MAPK, and ERK1/2. These results demonstrate that LJ possesses potent neuroprotective activity. Its potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases warrants further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Sa-Ik
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Ji-Ah
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yang-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sun-Yeou
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyoung-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seok-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Choon-Gon
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D031239:Lonicera / Q000737:chemistry*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases