Fasudil mesylate protects PC12 cells from oxidative stress injury via the Bax-mediated pathway

Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2011 Mar;31(2):243-50. doi: 10.1007/s10571-010-9614-9.

Abstract

We previously reported that fasudil mesylate (FM) improves neurological deficit and neuronal damage in rats with ischemia following middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion in vivo. In this study, the properties of FM on hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced oxidative stress insult in cultured PC12 cells as well as the underlying mechanisms were investigated in vitro. Pretreatment with FM (5, 10 μM) prior to H(2)O(2) exposure significantly elevated cell viability, reduced cell apoptosis by MTT assay, LDH assay, Hoechst 33258 dye staining, and FM also decreased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by DCFH-DA staining and NBT test. Furthermore, FM also reversed the upregulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, the downstream cascade following ROS. FM protected PC12 cells from oxidative stress insult via downregulating the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. These findings indicate that a direct effect of fasudil mesylate on PC12 cells may be partly responsible for its protective effect against oxidative stress injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine / analogs & derivatives*
  • 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine / chemistry
  • 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cytoprotection / drug effects*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
  • Intracellular Space / drug effects
  • Intracellular Space / metabolism
  • Mesylates / chemistry
  • Mesylates / pharmacology*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • PC12 Cells
  • Protective Agents / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Up-Regulation / drug effects
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / genetics
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Mesylates
  • Protective Agents
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein
  • 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • fasudil