Abstract
Purpose: To determine the protective effects of liquiritin on corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells.Methods: Neurotoxicity in PC12 cells was induced by different concentrations of corticosterone. Proliferation of PC12 cells was evaluated using CCK8 assay kits, while apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry.Results: The results indicate that corticosterone inhibited the proliferation of PC12 cells time- and dosedependently. The inhibitory effect (0.2 mM) was ameliorated by liquiritin. Furthermore, the cell apoptosis rate and protein level of caspase 3 in PC12 cells induced by corticosterone were ameliorated by liquiritin (1 and 2 mg/mL) treatment. Moreover, the protective effect of liquiritin (2 mg/mL) on corticosterone induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells was weakened by K252a (the specific TrkB inhibitor) treatment. In addition, the protein level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and (tyrosine-kinase receptor) TrkB showed a reverse trend to caspase 3.Conclusion: Liquiritin shows protective effects against neurotoxicity induced by corticosterone in PC12 cells, and these effects are exerted via up-regulating BDNF/TrkB signaling.Keywords: Liquiritin, Antidepressant, Corticosterone, Neuroprotection, PC12 cells, BDNF/TrkB signaling
Highlights
Depression is a debilitating, life-threatening and frequently occurring psychiatric disorder
Previous study indicated that corticosterone at high concentration induces cell injury and cell death in pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and hippocampal neurons, and these neurotoxicity caused by corticosterone were ameliorated by classical antidepressants [8]
PC12 cells were divided into 5 groups: control group, corticosterone (0.2 mM) treatment group, corticosterone (0.2 mM) + liquiritin (1 mg/mL) group, corticosterone (0.2 mM) + liquiritin (2 mg/mL) group, corticosterone (0.2 mM) + liquiritin (2 mg/mL) group and corticosterone (0.2 mM) + liquiritin (2 mg/mL) + K252a (10 nM) group
Summary
Depression is a debilitating, life-threatening and frequently occurring psychiatric disorder. A great number of studies have reported that corticosterone at high levels could induce depressive-like behavior in rats, which can be improved by acupuncture and antidepressant treatment [2,3]. Previous study indicated that corticosterone at high concentration induces cell injury and cell death in pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and hippocampal neurons, and these neurotoxicity caused by corticosterone were ameliorated by classical antidepressants [8]. These reports indicate that antidepressants possesses neuroprotective and neurotrophic activities in PC12 cells. Those cells were cultured for 72 h at normal condition, and the proliferation of PC12 cells was measured using CCK-8 assay kit at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment
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