echinacoside and Neuroblastoma

We investigated the neuroprotective effect of echinacoside, one of the phenylethanoids isolated from the stems of Cistanches salsa, a Chinese herbal medicine, on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-induced apoptosis in human neuroblastoma (SHSY5Y) cells. Treatment of cultured SHSY5Y cells with TNFalpha 100 ng ml(-1) for 36 h stimulated apoptosis, as demonstrated by typical morphological changes, cell viability, DNA laddering, annexin-V binding, intracellular reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase-3 activity. However, simultaneous treatment with echinacoside (1, 10 or 100 microg ml(-1)) attenuated the TNFalpha-mediated apoptosis. The antiapoptotic action of echinacoside was partially dependent on antioxidative stress effects, maintenance of mitochondria function, inhibition of caspase-3 activity and was also associated with increasing the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl2. Thus, echinacoside has the neuroprotective capacity to antagonize TNFalpha-induced apoptosis in SHSY5Y cells and may be useful in treating some neurodegenerative diseases.

Topics: Apoptosis; Binding, Competitive; Blotting, Western; Caspase 3; Caspases; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Membrane; Cell Nucleus; Cell Survival; DNA Fragmentation; Flow Cytometry; Glycosides; Humans; Intracellular Membranes; Membrane Potentials; Microscopy, Confocal; Mitochondria; Neuroblastoma; Phosphatidylserines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Reactive Oxygen Species; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha