The effect of salidroside on cell damage induced by glutamate and intracellular free calcium in PC12 cells

Promising Therapeutic Candidate for Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: What Are the Possible Mechanisms and Roles of Phytochemicals?

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the most effective reperfusion strategies for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) despite myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, causing one of the causes of most cardiomyocyte injuries and deaths. The pathological processes of myocardial I/R injury include apoptosis, autophagy, and irreversible cell death caused by calcium overload, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Eventually, myocardial I/R injury causes a spike of further cardiomyocyte injury that contributes to final infarct size (IS) and bound with hospitalization of heart failure as well as all-cause mortality within the following 12 months. Therefore, the addition of adjuvant intervention to improve myocardial salvage and cardiac function calls for further investigation. Phytochemicals are non-nutritive bioactive secondary compounds abundantly found in Chinese herbal medicine. Great effort has been put into phytochemicals because they are often in line with the expectations to improve myocardial I/R injury without compromising the clinical efficacy or to even produce synergy. We summarized the previous efforts, briefly outlined the mechanism of myocardial I/R injury, and focused on exploring the cardioprotective effects and potential mechanisms of all phytochemical types that have been investigated under myocardial I/R injury. Phytochemicals deserve to be utilized as promising therapeutic candidates for further development and research on combating myocardial I/R injury. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to provide a better understanding of the mechanism of myocardial I/R injury treatment using phytochemicals and possible side effects associated with this approach.

Anti-Neuroinflammatory Potential of Polyphenols by Inhibiting NF-κB to Halt Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irrevocable chronic brain disorder featured by neuronal loss, microglial accumulation, and progressive cognitive impairment. The proper pathophysiology of this life-threatening disorder is not completely understood and no exact remedies have been found yet. Over the last few decades, research on AD has mainly highlighted pathomechanisms linked to a couple of the major pathological hallmarks, including extracellular senile plaques made of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) made of tau proteins. Aβ can induce apoptosis, trigger an inflammatory response, and inhibit the synaptic plasticity of the hippocampus, which ultimately contributes to reducing cognitive functions and memory impairment. Recently, a third disease hallmark, the neuroinflammatory reaction that is mediated by cerebral innate immune cells, has become a spotlight in the current research area, assured by pre-clinical, clinical, and genetic investigations. Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), a cytokine producer, is significantly associated with physiological inflammatory proceedings and thus shows a promising candidate for inflammation- based AD therapy. Recent data reveal that phytochemicals, mainly polyphenol compounds, exhibit potential neuroprotective functions and these may be considered as a vital resource for discovering several drug candidates against AD. Interestingly, phytochemicals can easily interfere with the signaling pathway of NF-κB. This review represents the anti-neuroinflammatory potential of polyphenols as inhibitors of NF-κB to combat AD pathogenesis.

Salidroside as a potential neuroprotective agent for ischemic stroke: a review of sources, pharmacokinetics, mechanism and safety

Salidroside (Sal) is a bioactive extract principally from traditional herbal medicine such as Rhodiola rosea L., which has been commonly used for hundreds of years in Asia countries. The excellent neuroprotective capacity of Sal has been illuminated in recent studies. This work focused on the source, pharmacokinetics, safety and anti-ischemic stroke (IS) effect of Sal, especially emphasizing its mechanism of action and BBB permeability. Extensive databases, including Pubmed, Web of science (WOS), Google Scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), were applied to obtain relevant online literatures. Sal exerts powerful therapeutic effects on IS in experimental models either in vitro or in vivo due to its neuroprotection, with significantly diminishing infarct size, preventing cerebral edema and improving neurological function. Also, the findings suggest the underlying mechanisms involve anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis by regulating multiple signaling pathways and key molecules, such as NF-κB, TNF-α and PI3K/Akt pathway. In pharmacokinetics, although showing a rapid absorption and elimination, bioavailability of Sal is elevated under some non-physiological conditions. The component and its metabolite (tyrosol) are capable of distributing to brain tissue and the later keeps a higher level of concentration. Moreover, Sal scarcely has obvious toxicity or side effects in a variety of animal experiments and clinical trials, but combination of drugs and perinatal use of medicine should be taken more attentions. Finally, as an active ingredient, not only is Sal isolated from diverse plants with limited yield, but also large batches of the products can be harvested by biological and chemical synthesis. With higher efficacy and better safety profiles, Sal could sever as a promising neuroprotectant for preventing and treating IS. Nevertheless, further investigations are still required to explore the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of Sal in the treatment of IS.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Rhodiola rosea L.: A review

Rhodiola rosea L., a worldwide botanical adaptogen, has been confirmed to possess protective effects of inflammatory injury for many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, sepsis, and cancer. This paper is to review the recent clinical and experimental researches about the anti-inflammatory effects and the related mechanisms of Rhodiola rosea L. extracts, preparations, and the active compounds. From the collected information reviewed, this paper will provide the theoretical basis for its clinical application, and provide the evidences or guidance for future studies and medicinal exploitations of Rhodiola rosea L.

Pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action, and safety of salidroside in the central nervous system

The primary objective of this review article was to summarize comprehensive information related to the neuropharmacological activity, mechanisms of action, toxicity, and safety of salidroside in medicine. A number of studies have revealed that salidroside exhibits neuroprotective activities, including anti-Alzheimer's disease, anti-Parkinson's disease, anti-Huntington's disease, anti-stroke, anti-depressive effects, and anti-traumatic brain injury; it is also useful for improving cognitive function, treating addiction, and preventing epilepsy. The mechanisms underlying the potential protective effects of salidroside involvement are the regulation of oxidative stress response, inflammation, apoptosis, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, neurotransmission, neural regeneration, and the cholinergic system. Being free of side effects makes salidroside potentially attractive as a candidate drug for the treatment of neurological disorders. It is evident from the available published literature that salidroside has potential use as a beneficial therapeutic medicine with high efficacy and low toxicity to the central nervous system. However, the definite target protein molecules remain unclear, and clinical trials regarding this are currently insufficient; thus, guidance for further research on the molecular mechanisms and clinical applications of salidroside is urgent.

Paeoniflorin exerts neuroprotective effects against glutamate‑induced PC12 cellular cytotoxicity by inhibiting apoptosis

Paeoniflorin (PF) is an active ingredient of Radix Paeoniae, which is known to exert neuroprotective effects. However, the mechanims behind the neuroprotective effects of PF are not yet fully understood. The apoptosis of neurons plays an important role in the cerebral ischemia-induced cascade response. This study aimed to investigate neuroprotective effects of PF against glutamate‑induced PC12 cellular cytotoxicity and to determine whether these effects are mediated via the inhibition of apoptosis in vitro and the activity of mitochondrial apoptosis-associated proteins in PC12 cells. Exposure of the PC12 cells to glutamate induced cell morphological changes, significantly decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis, with similar results being observed from the Hoechst 33342 staining and Annexin V/PI staining experiments. Glutamate also increased the lactate dehydrogenase release by the PC12 cells. However, treatment with PF prevented these effects. Furthermore, PF inhibited Bax and Bad expression and increased Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression; it also decreased the levels of downstream protein (caspase-3 and caspase-9). Collectively, our results indicate that PF protects PC12 cells against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity possibly through the inhibition of the expression of mitochondrial apoptosis-associated proteins.

Mitochondrial protective and anti-apoptotic effects of Rhodiola crenulata extract on hippocampal neurons in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease

In our previous study, we found that the edible alcohol extract of the root of the medicinal plant Rhodiola crenulata (RCE) improved spatial cognition in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Another study from our laboratory showed that RCE enhanced neural cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and prevented damage to hippocampal neurons in a rat model of chronic stress-induced depression. However, the mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of RCE are unclear. In the present study, we investigated the anti-apoptotic effect of RCE and its neuroprotective mechanism of action in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease established by intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin. The rats were pre-administered RCE at doses of 1.5, 3.0 or 6.0 g/kg for 21 days before model establishment. ATP and cytochrome c oxidase levels were significantly decreased in rats with Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, neuronal injury was obvious in the hippocampus, with the presence of a large number of apoptotic neurons. In comparison, in rats given RCE pretreatment, ATP and cytochrome c oxidase levels were markedly increased, the number of apoptotic neurons was reduced, and mitochondrial injury was mitigated. The 3.0 g/kg dose of RCE had the optimal effect. These findings suggest that pretreatment with RCE prevents mitochondrial dysfunction and protects hippocampal neurons from apoptosis in rats with Alzheimer's disease.

Therapeutic benefits of combined treatment with tissue plasminogen activator and 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-pyranoside in an animal model of ischemic stroke

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only approved therapy for acute ischemic stroke, but tPA therapy is limited by a short therapeutic window and some adverse side effects. 2-(4-Methoxyphenyl)ethyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-pyranoside, a salidroside analog (code-named SalA-4g), has shown potent neuroprotective effects. In this study, a rat model of embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used to mimic ischemic stroke. The embolic MCAO rats were intravenously (iv) injected with tPA alone, SalA-4g alone, or a combination of tPA and SalA-4g. Compared to treatment with tPA alone at 4h post MCAO, combined treatment with tPA at 4h post MCAO and SalA-4g starting at 4h post MCAO and continuing for 3days at an interval of 24h significantly reduced neurological deficits and infarct volume, and significantly inhibited the intracerebral bleeding, edema formation, neuronal loss, and cellular apoptosis in the ischemic brain. Our results suggested that additive neuroprotective actions of SalA-4g contributed to widening the therapeutic window of tPA therapy and ameliorating its side effects in treating MCAO rats. The therapeutic benefits of combined treatment with tPA and SalA-4g for ischemic stroke might be associated with its effects on cerebral glucose metabolism.

Insulin receptor A and Sirtuin 1 synergistically improve learning and spatial memory following chronic salidroside treatment during hypoxia

Hypoxia has been reported to cause hippocampal neurodegeneration resulting in learning and memory deficits. In the present study, we investigated the potential of salidroside, a glucoside derivative of tyrosol, in ameliorating hypoxia-induced neurodegeneration and memory impairment. Morris water maze test showed improvement in learning and spatial memory of salidroside-treated hypoxic rats correlating with increased dendritic intersections and arborization. Salidroside administration increased phosphorylation of insulin receptor subunit A (IRA) at Y972, Y1162/63, and Y1146 sites and subsequent activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α subunit isoforms pAMPKα1 and pAMPKα2 resulting in mitochondrial biogenesis. Contrarily, silencing of IRA in salidroside-supplemented hypoxic hippocampal cells could not improve cell viability or alter pAMPKα1 and pAMPKα2 expression. Rats administered with salidroside showed elevated expression of phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein in the hippocampus. Salidroside administration also resulted in increased sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activity through a cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1)-regulated mechanism that was independent of pIRA. Taken together, these findings suggest a synergistic role of pIRA and SIRT1 in salidroside-mediated neuroprotection, mitochondrial biogenesis, and cognitive improvement during hypoxia. We propose a novel mechanism for salidroside-mediated neuroprotection in hypoxia.

Salidroside improves endothelial function and alleviates atherosclerosis by activating a mitochondria-related AMPK/PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway

Salidroside (SAL) is a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from the medicinal plant Rhodiola rosea. A recent study has reported that SAL can efficiently decrease atherosclerotic plaque formation in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice. This study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of antiatherogenic effects of SAL. Given the importance of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in atherosclerosis, we sought to elucidate whether SAL could stimulate eNOS activation and also to explore its upstream signaling pathway. Six-week old apoE(-/-) male mice were fed a high-fat diet for 8weeks and then were administered with SAL for another 8weeks. SAL significantly improved endothelial function associated with increasing eNOS activation, thus reduced the atherosclerotic lesion area. SAL increased eNOS-Ser1177 phosphorylation and decreased eNOS-Thr495 phosphorylation, indicative of eNOS activation in endothelium. The aortic sinus lesions in SAL treated mice displayed reduced inflammation. SAL significantly activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Both AMPK inhibitor and AMPK small interfering RNA (siRNA) abolished SAL-induced Akt-Ser473 and eNOS-Ser1177 phosphorylation. In contrast, LY294002, the PI3k/Akt pathway inhibitor, abolished SAL-induced phosphorylation and expression of eNOS. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that SAL decreased cellular ATP content and increased the cellular AMP/ATP ratio, which was associated with the activation of AMPK. SAL was found to decrease the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), which is a likely consequence of reduced ATP production. The action of SAL to reduce atherosclerotic lesion formation may at least be attributed to its effect on improving endothelial function by promoting nitric oxide (NO) production, which was associated with mitochondrial depolarization and subsequent activation of the AMPK/PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway. Taken together, our data described the effects of SAL on mitochondria, which played critical roles in improving endothelial function in atherosclerosis.

Serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction suppresses glutamate-induced PC12 cell injury

Glutamate application is an established method of inducing PC12 cell injury. PC12 cells were cultured with serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction consisting of moschus, Carthamus tinctorius, Rhizoma chuanxiong, Semen pruni persicae, and Radix Paeoniae Rubra. After 24 hours of co-cultivation, glutamate (12.5 mM) was added to the culture medium. We found that serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction prevented the increase in reactive oxygen species, and the decreases in superoxide dismutase and Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity, induced by glutamate. It also reduced the concentration of malondialdehyde, enhanced the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, inhibited the elevation of cellular calcium, and decreased phosphorylation of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Thus, serum containing Tongqiaohuoxue decoction had protective effects on cell proliferation and membrane permeability in glutamate-injured PC12 cells.

Curcumin-Protected PC12 Cells Against Glutamate-Induced Oxidative Toxicity

Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter present in the central nervous system. The glutamate/cystine antiporter system x c- connects the antioxidant defense with neurotransmission and behaviour. Overactivation of ionotropic glutamate receptors induces neuronal death, a pathway called excitotoxicity. Glutamate-induced oxidative stress is a major contributor to neurodegenerative diseases including cerebral ischemia, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. Curcuma has a wide spectrum of biological activities regarding neuroprotection and neurocognition. By reducing the oxidative damage, curcumin attenuates a spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury, seizures and hippocampal neuronal loss. The rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell line exhibits many characteristics useful for the study of the neuroprotection and neurocognition. This investigation was carried out to determine whether the neuroprotective effects of curcumin can be observed via the glutamate-PC12 cell model. Results indicate that glutamate (20 mM) upregulated glutathione peroxidase 1, glutathione disulphide, Ca2+ influx, nitric oxide production, cytochrome c release, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase-3 activity, lactate dehydrogenase release, reactive oxygen species, H 2 O 2 , and malondialdehyde; and downregulated glutathione, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and catalase, resulting in enhanced cell apoptosis. Curcumin alleviates all these adverse effects. Conclusively, curcumin can effectively protect PC12 cells against the glutamate-induced oxidative toxicity. Its mode of action involves two pathways: the glutathione-dependent nitric oxide-reactive oxygen species pathway and the mitochondria-dependent nitric oxide-reactive oxygen species pathway.

Salidroside inhibits oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)/re-oxygenation-induced H9c2 cell necrosis through activating of Akt-Nrf2 signaling

Oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)/re-oxygenation has been applied to cultured cardiomyocytes to create a cellular model of ischemic heart damage. In the current study, we explored the potential role of salidroside against OGD/re-oxygenation-induced damage in H9c2 cardiomyocytes, and studied the underlying mechanisms. We found that OGD/re-oxygenation primarily induced necrosis in H9c2 cells, which was inhibited by salidroside. Salidroside suppressed OGD/re-oxygenation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, p53 mitochondrial translocation and cyclophilin D (Cyp-D) association as well as mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decrease in H9c2 cells. Meanwhile, salidroside activated Akt and promoted transcription of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-regulated genes (heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1)). Significantly, Nrf2 shRNA knockdown or Akt inhibitors (LY 294002 and wortmannin) not only prevented salidroside-induced HO-1/NQO-1 transcription, but also alleviated salidroside-mediated cytoprotective effect against OGD/re-oxygenation in H9c2 cells. These observations suggest that salidroside activates Nrf2-regulated anti-oxidant signaling, and protects against OGD/re-oxygenation-induced H9c2 cell necrosis via activation of Akt signaling.

2-(4-Methoxyphenyl)ethyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-pyranoside confers neuroprotection in cell and animal models of ischemic stroke through calpain1/PKA/CREB-mediated induction of neuronal glucose transporter 3

Salidroside is proven to be a neuroprotective agent of natural origin, and its analog, 2-(4-Methoxyphenyl)ethyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-pyranoside (named SalA-4g), has been synthesized in our lab. In this study, we showed that SalA-4g promoted neuronal survival and inhibited neuronal apoptosis in primary hippocampal neurons exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) and in rats subjected to ischemia by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), respectively, and that SalA-4g was more neuroprotective than salidroside. We further found that SalA-4g elevated glucose uptake in OGD-injured primary hippocampal neurons and increased the expression and recruitment of glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) in ischemic brain. Signaling analysis revealed that SalA-4g triggered the phosphorylation of CREB, and increased the expression of PKA RII in primary hippocampal neurons exposed to OGD injury, while inhibition of PKA/CREB by H-89 alleviated the elevation in glucose uptake and GLUT3 expression, and blocked the protective effects of SalA-4g. Moreover, SalA-4g was noted to inhibit intracellular Ca(2+) influx and calpain1 activation in OGD-injured primary hippocampal neurons. Our results suggest that SalA-4g neuroprotection might be mediated by increased glucose uptake and elevated GLUT3 expression through calpain1/PKA/CREB pathway.

Protective effects of a Rhodiola crenulata extract and salidroside on hippocampal neurogenesis against streptozotocin-induced neural injury in the rat

Previously we have demonstrated that a Rhodiola crenulata extract (RCE), containing a potent antioxidant salidroside, promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus of depressive rats. The current study was designed to further investigate the protective effect of the RCE on neurogenesis in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) induced by an intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ), and to determine whether this neuroprotective effect is induced by the antioxidative activity of salidroside. Our results showed that pretreatment with the RCE significantly improved the impaired neurogenesis and simultaneously reduced the oxidative stress in the hippocampus of AD rats. In vitro studies revealed that (1) exposure of neural stem cells (NSCs) from the hippocampus to STZ strikingly increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, induced cell death and perturbed cell proliferation and differentiation, (2) hydrogen peroxide induced similar cellular activities as STZ, (3) pre-incubation of STZ-treated NSCs with catalase, an antioxidant, suppressed all these cellular activities induced by STZ, and (4) likewise, pre-incubation of STZ-treated NSCs with salidroside, also an antioxidant, suppressed all these activities as catalase: reduction of ROS levels and NSC death with simultaneous increases in proliferation and differentiation. Our findings indicated that the RCE improved the impaired hippocampal neurogenesis in the rat model of AD through protecting NSCs by its main ingredient salidroside which scavenged intracellular ROS.

Rhodiola rosea extract protects human cortical neurons against glutamate and hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death through reduction in the accumulation of intracellular calcium

The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of a titolated extract from Rhodiola rosea L. (RrE) and of salidroside (Sa), one of the major biologically active compounds extracted from this medicinal plant, against oxidative stressor hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and glutamate (GLU)-induced cell apoptosis in a human cortical cell line (HCN 1-A) maintained in culture. The results obtained indicate that exposure of differentiated HCN 1-A neurons to GLU or H₂O₂ resulted in concentration-dependent cell death. A 24 h pre-treatment with RrE significantly increased cell survival and significantly prevented the plasma membrane damage and the morphological disruption caused by GLU or H₂O₂, indicating that neurons treated with RrE were protected from the neurotoxicity induced by the oxidative stressor used. In addition, RrE significantly reduced H₂O₂ or GLU-induced elevation of intracellular free Ca²⁺ concentration. The results obtained have also shown that Sa caused similar effects in all experimental models used; however, the potency of the action was lower than that of the extract containing corresponding quantities of Sa. These findings indicate that RrE has a neuroprotective effect in cortical neurons and suggest that the antioxidant activity of the RrE, due to the structural features of the synergic active principles they contain, may be responsible for its ability to stabilize cellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis.

Effects of a Rhodiola rosea L. extract on acquisition and expression of morphine tolerance and dependence in mice

This study investigated the effect of Rhodiola rosea L. extract on acquisition and expression of morphine tolerance and dependence in mice. Therefore animals were injected with repeated administration of morphine (10 mg/kg, subcutaneous) twice daily for five or six days, in order to make them tolerant or dependent. Rhodiola rosea L. extract (0, 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg) was administered by the intragastric route 60 min prior to each morphine injection (for acquisition) or prior the last injection of morphine or naloxone on test day (for tolerance or dependence expression, respectively). Morphine tolerance was evaluated by testing its analgesic effect in the tail flick test at the 1st and 5th days. Morphine dependence was evaluated by counting the number of withdrawal signs (jumping, rearing, forepaw tremor, teeth chatter) after naloxone injection (5 mg/kg; intraperitoneal) on the test day (day 6). Results showed that Rhodiola rosea L. extract significantly reduced the expression of morphine tolerance, while it was ineffective in modulating its acquisition. Conversely, Rhodiola rosea L. extract significantly and dose-dependently attenuated both development and expression of morphine dependence after chronic or acute administration. These data suggest that Rhodiola rosea L. may have human therapeutic potential for treatment of opioid addiction.

Protective effects of salidroside on endothelial cell apoptosis induced by cobalt chloride

Salidroside is a major constituent of Rhodiola rosea L. that elicits beneficial effects for ischemic cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of salidroside on endothelial cells apoptosis induced by the hypoxia mimicking agent, cobalt chloride. After challenge with cobalt chloride for 24 h, loss of cell viability and excessive apoptotic cell death were observed in EA.hy926 endothelial cells, and the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased concentration-dependently. However, the endothelial cell apoptosis and excessive ROS generation were attenuated markedly by salidroside pretreatment. In addition, salidroside inhibited activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) induced by cobalt chloride, decreased expression of Bax and rescued the balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins. These findings suggest that salidroside protects endothelial cells from cobalt chloride-induced apoptosis as an antioxidant and by regulating Bcl-2 family. Salidroside may represent a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment and prevention of hypoxia and oxidative stress-related diseases.

Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress-Protective Activity

Adaptogens were initially defined as substances that enhance the "state of nonspecific resistance" in stress, a physiological condition that is linked with various disorders of the neuroendocrine-immune system. Studies on animals and isolated neuronal cells have revealed that adaptogens exhibit neuroprotective, anti-fatigue, antidepressive, anxiolytic, nootropic and CNS stimulating activity. In addition, a number of clinical trials demonstrate that adaptogens exert an anti-fatigue effect that increases mental work capacity against a background of stress and fatigue, particularly in tolerance to mental exhaustion and enhanced attention. Indeed, recent pharmacological studies of a number of adaptogens have provided a rationale for these effects also at the molecular level. It was discovered that the stress-protective activity of adaptogens was associated with regulation of homeostasis via several mechanisms of action, which was linked with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the regulation of key mediators of stress response, such as molecular chaperons (e.g., HSP70), stress-activated c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase 1 (JNK1), Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factor DAF-16, cortisol and nitric oxide.

Ginsenoside Rg1 inhibits beta-secretase activity in vitro and protects against Abeta-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells

Ginsenoside Rg1 (1) is a major active component of Panax notoginseng, a Chinese herb widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve learning and memory function. Increasing evidence suggests that beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) plays a central role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To elucidate the mechanism of 1 on improving the ability of learning and memory, we investigated whether 1 could affect Abeta generation or protect Abeta-induced neurotoxicity. The results showed that 1 could inhibit beta-secretase activity in vitro and also protect the PC12 cells against injuries caused by exposure of PC12 cells to 50 microM Abeta(25-35) for 48 h. The cell death, LDH release, NO release, ROS production, lipid peroxidation, intracellular calcium elevation, and apoptosis are associated events induced by Abeta that can be rescued by 1 in PC12 cells. In conclusion, 1 may be a promising agent for AD, and the mechanism is related to beta-secretase inhibition and protection against Abeta-induced cytotoxicity.

Salidroside attenuates glutamate-induced apoptotic cell death in primary cultured hippocampal neurons of rats

Salidroside, a compound of natural origin, has displayed a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of salidroside on glutamate-induced cell death in a primary culture of rat hippocampal neurons as compared to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a usual positive control. MTT and LDH assays, together with Hoechst 33342 staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-mediated nicked end labeling (TUNEL) assay and flow cytometric analysis using annexin-V and propidium (PI) label, indicated that salidroside pretreatment attenuated glutamate-induced apoptotic cell death in primary cultured hippocampal neurons, showing a dose-dependent pattern. Furthermore, caspase-3 activity assay and calcium measurements with Fluo 4-AM, respectively, revealed that salidroside pretreatment antagonized activation of caspase-3 and elevation of intracellular calcium level, both of which were induced by glutamate stimulation, thus adding to the understanding of how salidroside offered neuroprotection against glutamate excitotoxicity.

Neuroprotective effects of salidroside in the PC12 cell model exposed to hypoglycemia and serum limitation

The hypoglycemia and serum limitation-induced cell death in cultured PC12 cells represents a useful in vitro model for the study of brain ischemia and neurodegenerative disorders. Salidroside is a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from Rhodiola rosea L., a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, and has displayed a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties. In this study, MTT assay, Hoechst 33342 staining, and flow cytometry with annexin V/PI staining collectively showed that pretreatment with salidroside attenuated, in a dose-dependent manner, cell viability loss, and apoptotic cell death in cultured PC12 cells induced by hypoglycemia and serum limitation. RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and enzymatic colorimetric assay indicated the changes in expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase3 in PC12 cells on exposure to hypoglycemia and serum limitation with and without salidroside pretreatment, respectively. Rhodamine 123 staining and flow cytometry with 2',7'-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate staining revealed the changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential and radical oxygen species (ROS) production in PC12 cells on exposure to hypoglycemia and serum limitation with and without salidroside pretreatment, respectively. The experimental results suggest that salidroside protects the PC12 cells against hypoglycemia and serum limitation-induced cytotoxicity possibly by the way of the modulation of apoptosis-related gene expression, the restoration of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and the inhibition of the intracellular ROS production. Our findings might raise a possibility of potential therapeutic applications of salidroside for preventing and treating cerebral ischemic and neurodegenerative diseases.

Protective effects of salidroside on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells

Oxidative stress plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Salidroside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from Rhodiola rosea L, shows potent antioxidant property. In this paper, the neuroprotective effects of salidroside on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells were investigated. Pretreatment with salidroside markedly attenuated H2O2-induced cell viability loss and apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanisms by which salidroside protected neuron cells from oxidative stress included the induction of several antioxidant enzymes, thioredoxin, heme oxygenase-1, and peroxiredoxin-I; the downregulation of pro-apoptotic gene Bax and the upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L). Furthermore, salidroside dose-dependently restored H2O2-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as the elevation of intracellular calcium level. These results suggest that salidroside has protective effects against oxidative stress-induced cell apoptosis, which might be a potential therapeutic agent for treating or preventing neurodegenerative diseases implicated with oxidative stress.