Preventive effects of coixol, an active compound of adlay seed, in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells against beta-amyloid-induced neurotoxicity.

BACKGROUND

The health benefits of coixol, an active compound of adlay seed, have attracted certain attention. Adlay seed is often adopted in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory disorders. Thus, it is hypothesized that coixol could protect neuronal cells.

OBJECTIVES

The preventive effects of coixol against Abeta-induced damage in nerve growth factor-differentiated PC12 cells were explored.

METHODS

Differentiated PC12 cells were treated with coixol at 0.125 μM, 0.25 μM, 0.5 μM, 1 μM, and 2 μM for 48 h. Then, cells were further exposed to Abeta at 20 μM for 24 h.

RESULTS

Coixol treatments at 0.25-2 μM exhibited antiapoptotic effect via increasing Bcl-2 mRNA expression, mitochondrial membrane potential, and Na-K ATPase activity as well as decreasing Bax mRNA expression, caspase-3 activity, and intracellular Ca release. In addition, coixol treatments at 0.25-2 μM alleviated oxidative and inflammatory responses via lowering reactive oxygen species level, increasing glutathione content, promoting the activity of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and catalase, decreasing the generation of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and prostaglandin E. Furthermore, coixol treatments at 0.25-2 μM diminished intracellular Ca release, and restricted nuclear factor kappa B-binding activity and phosphorylation of p65 and p38. Coixol treatments at 0.5-2 μM increased protein generation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, and limited protein production of inducible nitric oxide synthase and receptor of advanced glycation end product.

CONCLUSION

Our novel findings suggested that coixol was a compelling agent against beta-amyloid peptide-induced neurotoxicity.