DHA ameliorates MeHg‑induced PC12 cell apoptosis by inhibiting the ROS/JNK signaling pathway.
Abstract
Recent studies have reported that methylmercury (MeHg) induces neuronal apoptosis, which is accompanied by abnormal neurological development. Despite the important role of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in maintaining the structure and function of the brain, as well as improving neuronal apoptosis induced by MeHg, the exact mechanism remains unknown. The present study hypothesized that the reactive oxygen species (ROS)‑mediated JNK signaling pathway may be associated with the protective effect of DHA against MeHg‑induced PC12 cell apoptosis. Cell Counting Kit‑8, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, ROS detection, PCR and western blot analysis were performed. The results demonstrated that MeHg inhibited the activity of PC12 cells, causing oxidative damage and promoting apoptosis; however, DHA significantly attenuated this effect. Mechanistic studies revealed that MeHg increased intracellular ROS levels and JNK protein phosphorylation, and decreased the expression levels of the anti‑apoptotic protein Bcl‑2, whereas DHA reduced ROS levels and JNK phosphorylation, and increased Bcl‑2 expression. In addition, the ROS inhibitor N‑acetyl‑l‑cysteine (NAC) was used to verify the experimental results. After pretreatment with NAC, expression level...Continue Reading
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Apoptosis
Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis