Isorhynchophylline Protects PC12 Cells Against Beta-Amyloid-Induced Apoptosis via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

The neurotoxicity of amyloid-β(Aβ) has been implicated as a critical cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Isorhynchophylline (IRN), an oxindole alkaloid isolated fromUncaria rhynchophylla,exerts neuroprotective effect againstAβ25–35-induced neurotoxicityin vitro. However, the exact mechanism for its neuroprotective effect is not well understood. The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective action of IRN againstAβ25–35-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Pretreatment with IRN significantly increased the cell viability, inhibited the release of lactate dehydrogenase and the extent of DNA fragmentation inAβ25–35-treated cells. IRN treatment was able to enhance the protein levels of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β(p-GSK-3β). Lithium chloride blockedAβ25–35-induced cellular apoptosis in a similar manner as IRN, suggesting that GSK-3βinhibition was involved in neuroprotective action of IRN. Pretreatment with LY294002 completely abolished the protective effects of IRN. Furthermore, IRN reversedAβ25–35-induced attenuation in the level of phosphorylated cyclic AMP response element binding protein (p-CREB) and the effect of IRN could be blocked by the PI3K inhibitor. These experimental findings unambiguously suggested that the protective effect of IRN againstAβ25–35-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells was associated with the enhancement of p-CREB expression via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3βsignaling pathway.