title: Paeoniflorin protects HUVECs from AGE-BSA-induced injury via an autophagic pathway by acting on the RAGE.
abstract: The aim of our study was to investigate the protective effects of Paeoniflorin (PF) against injury induced by AGE-modified bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and to examine the underlying mechanisms of these effects. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine cell viability. Protein expression levels were determined by western blotting. For function-blocking experiments, we used small interfering RNA molecules (siRNA) for function-blocking experiments. At 6 h, we found that 100 μg/mL AGE-BSA reduced the viability of HUVECs. However, pretreatment with PF restored cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. AGE-BSA increased the levels of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3-II (LC3-II) and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Expression of p62 protein was also increased, but not at a statistically significant level. Pretreatment with PF further increased levels of LC3-II and RAGE, but reduced the expression of p62. In cells transfected with Atg5 and RAGE siRNA, cell viability and expression of LC3-II decreased in both the AGE-BSA and PF + AGE-BSA treatments. PF can protect HUVECs from AGE-BSA-induced injury by upregulating autophagy and promoting the completion of autophagy flux. RAGE plays an important role in this autophagic protection effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Yufang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Yande
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Yanlin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Zhihua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Chunfeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China ; Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005960:Glucosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000633:toxicity*; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D034622:RNA Interference; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000633:toxicity*; D006027:Glycosides
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D005960:Glucosides; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D039821:Monoterpenes; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; C081628:advanced glycation end products-bovine serum albumin; C015423:peoniflorin; D006027:Glycosides
keywords: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs); advanced glycation end products (AGEs); autophagy flux; paeoniflorin (PF); receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)