Gypenosides (GPs) alleviates hypoxia‐induced injury in PC12 cells and enhances tolerance to anoxia in C57BL/6 mice

• Published in: Journal of food biochemistry Vol. 46; no. 12; pp. e14448 - n/a
• Main Authors: Wang, Cheng‐Bo, Zhao, Ming, Wang, Jun, Shi, Jiao‐Tai, Wang, Wei‐Feng, Zhang, Ying, Meng, Xian‐Hua, Sang, Chun‐Yan, Zhu, Ling‐Ling, Yang, Jun‐Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.12.2022
• Subjects: Animals; Gynostemma; Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino; gypenosides; high altitude hypoxia; Hypoxia - drug therapy; hypoxia tolerance; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; neuroprotection; Oxygen; PC12 Cells; Rats; Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino; gypenosides; hypoxia tolerance; neuroprotection; high altitude hypoxia
• ISSN: 0145-8884; 1745-4514
• DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.14448

Oxygen is a necessary substance for life activities, but reduced oxygen utilization due to high altitude exposure and respiratory dysfunction diseases could lead to pathological changes in the organisms. Herein gypenosides, the active ingredients in the food and medicine resource plant Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino were found to alleviate hypoxia‐induced injury in PC12 cells. Moreover, hypoxia induced an increase in Ca2+ and reactive oxygen species content, and such patterns were both significantly reduced by gypenosides treatment. At the same time, gypenosides significantly blocked the decrease of both NO content and mitochondrial membrane potential caused by hypoxia. Furthermore, gypenosides gavage treatment significantly prolonged the survival time of C57BL/6 mice in confinement up to 24.3% and enhanced the locomotor ability of mice. Therefore, gypenosides have good neuroprotective effects and hypoxia tolerance activity and have the prospect of being developed as a preventive and therapeutic drug for hypoxia‐related diseases. Practical applications Gypenosides can enhance tolerance of cells and mice to hypoxia and have the potential to be developed into hypoxia‐resistant health food and drugs. GPs can significantly protect hypoxia‐induced PC12 cell injury by regulating the content of NO and Ca2+ and protecting the normal function of mitochondria. In addition, GPs can also significantly enhance the tolerance of C57BL/6 mice to hypoxia.