Aucubin modulates Bcl-2 family proteins expression and inhibits caspases cascade in HO-induced PC12 cells.

In this study, the effect of aucubin on HO-induced apoptosis was studied by using a rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell line. We have analyzed the apoptosis of HO-induced PC12 cells, HO-induced apoptosis appeared to correlate with lower Bcl-2 expression, higher Bax expression and sequential activation of caspase-3 leading to cleavage of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Aucubin not only inhibited lower Bcl-2 expression, high Bax expression, but also modulated caspase-3 activation, PARP cleavage, and eventually protected against HO-induced apoptosis. These results indicated that aucubin can obstruct HO-induced apoptosis by regulating of the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax, as well as suppression of caspases cascade activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]