Pogostemon cablinas ROS Scavenger in Oxidant-Induced Cell Death of Human Neuroglioma Cells

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide range of acute and long-term neurodegenerative diseases. This study was undertaken to examine the efficacy ofPogostemon cablin, a well-known herb in Korean traditional medicine, on ROS-induced brain cell injury.Pogostemon cablineffectively protected human neuroglioma cell line A172 against both the necrotic and apoptotic cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The effect ofPogostemon cablinwas dose dependent at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 5 mg ml−1.Pogostemon cablinsignificantly prevented depletion of cellular ATP and activation of poly ADP-ribose polymerase induced by H2O2. The preservation of functional integrity of mitochondria upon the treatment ofPogostemon cablinwas also confirmed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay. Furthermore,Pogostemon cablinsignificantly prevented H2O2-induced release of cytochrome c into cytosol. Determination of intracellular ROS showed thatPogostemon cablinmight exert its role as a powerful scavenger of intracellular ROS. The present study suggests the beneficial effect ofPogostemon cablinon ROS-induced neuroglial cell injury. The action ofPogostemon cablinas a ROS-scavenger might underlie the mechanism.