Cissus quadrangularis ethanol extract upregulates superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in hydrogen peroxide-injured human ECV304 cells

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevanceCissus quadrangularis has been widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of hemorrhoid. However, the detailed mechanism of antioxidant defense of C. quadrangularis in endothelial cells under oxidative stress remains unclear. Aim of the studyThe present study aims to elucidate the protective role of ethanol extract of C. quadrangularis (CQE) including its constituents, quercetin and resveratrol, on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-injured human umbilical vein endothelial ECV304 cells. Materials and methodsViability, genotoxicity and protein expression of ECV304 cells were analyzed by MTT, alkaline comet and Western blot, respectively. Production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined using dichlorofluorescein fluorescence dye. ResultsAfter exposing cells to CQE containing quercetin and resveratrol, DNA damage was not observed. CQE including quercetin and resveratrol significantly attenuated ROS in H2O2-injured ECV304 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The protein expression of superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) increased in the cells treated with CQE, quercetin or resveratrol prior to H2O2 exposure, as compared with control. ConclusionsThe results provide a molecular mechanism of C. quadrangularis, which could be partially related to quercetin and resveratrol, in restoring ROS in endothelial cells through the upregulation of Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, GPx and eNOS.