Inhibition of the oligosaccharides extracted from Morinda officinalis, a Chinese traditional herbal medicine, on the corticosterone induced apoptosis in PC12 cells

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) Vol. 72; no. 8; pp. 933 - 942
• Main Authors: Li, Yun Feng, Gong, Zheng Hua, Yang, Ming, Zhao, Yi Min, Luo, Zhi Pu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 10.01.2003
• Subjects: Animals; Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology; Apoptosis; Cell Count; Cells; Corticosterone; Corticosterone - pharmacology; Desipramine; Desipramine - pharmacology; DNA Fragmentation - drug effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Antagonism; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - isolation & purification; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Flow Cytometry; Morinda - chemistry; Morinda officinalis; Oligosaccharides; Oligosaccharides - isolation & purification; Oligosaccharides - pharmacology; PC12; PC12 Cells - drug effects; PC12 Cells - ultrastructure; Rats; Oligosaccharides; Desipramine; Corticosterone; Morinda officinalis; Cells; Apoptosis
• DOI: 10.1016/S0024-3205(02)02331-7
• ISSN: 0024-3205

The mechanisms of the antidepressant action of the oligosaccharides (P 6) extracted from Morinda Officinalis were studied. By flow cytometry analysis, treatment of PC12 cells with corticosterone (Cort) induced apoptosis in a concentration and time dependent manner. The highest percentage of apoptotic cells accumulated to 27.85 ± 9.2% following pretreatment with Cort 10 μM for 5 d. In agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA, the sample obtained from PC12 cells pretreated with Cort 10 μM for 5 d showed a typical ladder pattern suggesting that Cort increased the DNA fragmentation significantly. Furthermore, the ultrastructure of Cort-treated cells displayed typical apoptosis-like morphological changes including fragmented chromatin accumulation to the inside of nucleolus membrane with a shape like crescent moon or ring, nuclear fragmentation or apoptotic body. In the presence of P 6, or tricyclic antidepressant desipramine (DIM), the apoptosis induced by Cort in the three measurements above was significantly inhibited. These results indicate that DIM or P 6 antagonize the apoptosis induced by Cort in PC12 cells, which may be one of the cellular mechanisms of their antidepressant effects.