Protective Effect of Phragmitis Rhizoma against Oxidative Stress-induced DNA Damage and Apoptosis in Chang Liver Cells

Abstract

Objectives: Phragmitis Rhizoma is the fresh or dried rhizome of Phragmites communis Trin., which has been prescribed in traditional Korean medicine to relieve fever and vomiting and to nourish the body fluids. Recently, the protective effect of Phragmitis Rhizoma extract or its components on myelotoxicity and inflammatory responses have been reported, but no study has yet been conducted on oxidative stress.Methods: The present study investigated whether an ethanol extract of Phragmitis Rhizoma (PR) could protect against cellular damage induced by oxidative stress in Chang liver cells.Results: Pretreatment with PR significantly suppressed the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced reduction of Chang cell viability and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby deferring apoptosis. PR also markedly inhibited H2O2-induced comet tail formation and phospho-γH2AX expression, suggesting that PR protected against oxidative stress–mediated DNA damage. PR also effectively prevented the inhibition of ATP synthesis in H2O2-treated Chang cells by inhibiting the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating that PR maintains energy metabolism through preservation of mitochondrial function while eliminating ROS generated by H2O2. Immunoblotting results indicated that PR attenuated the H2O2-induced downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax expression.Conclusions: PR protects against oxidative injury in Chang liver cells by regulating energy homeostasis via ROS generation blockade, which is at least partly mediated through inactivation of the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway.