Wogonin prevents rat dorsal root ganglion neurons death via inhibiting tunicamycin-induced ER stress in vitro

Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2015 Apr;35(3):389-398. doi: 10.1007/s10571-014-0134-x. Epub 2014 Nov 9.

Abstract

Wogonin is a natural flavonoid isolated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which has been widely used in various research areas for its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities. It also presents a neuroprotective effect in the brain while encounters stress conditions, but the mechanisms controlling the neuroprotective effect of wogonin are not clear. In this study, we investigated the biomechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of wogonin on rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Wogonin pre-treatment at 75 μM significantly increased the cell viability of DRG neurons and decreased the number of the propidium iodide-positive DRG neurons before the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is being induced by tunicamycin (TUN) (0.75 μg/mL). In addition, Wogonin also inhibited the release of LDH and up-regulated the level of GSH. Furthermore, wogonin decreased the activation of ER stress-related molecules, including glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), GRP94, C/EBP-homologous protein, active caspase12 and active caspase3, phosphorylation of pancreatic ER stress kinase, and eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α). In summary, our results indicated that wogonin could protect DRG neurons against TUN-induced ER stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cell Death / physiology
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / physiology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / pharmacology*
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / drug effects
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / physiology*
  • Flavanones / pharmacology*
  • Ganglia, Spinal / drug effects
  • Ganglia, Spinal / metabolism*
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Tunicamycin / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Tunicamycin / toxicity*

Substances

  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Flavanones
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Tunicamycin
  • wogonin