Thioredoxin-1 mediates neuroprotection of Schisanhenol against MPP + -induced apoptosis via suppression of ASK1-P38-NF-κB pathway in SH-SY5Y cells

Oxidative stress-induced dopaminergic neuronal loss and apoptosis play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and as a vital antioxidant protein, thioredoxin (Trx) exerts neuroprotection against PD. In this study, we investigated the effect of Schisanhenol (Sal), an active component from a traditional Chinese herb Schisandra rubriflora (Franch.), on MPP + -induced apoptosis and its association with thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) in SH-SY5Y cells. The protein levels of Trx1 and apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western blot, the expression of Trx1 mRNA by real time qPCR, and apoptosis was detected by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Pretreatment with Sal (1 µM, 10 µM, and 50 µM) dose-dependently ameliorated MPP + -induced neuronal injury, confirmed by the improvement of the viability and morphological changes. Sal decreased the apoptosis rate of cells, suppressed the production of DNA ladder and sub-G1 peak, inhibited the Caspase-3 activity and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Sal enhanced the expression of Trx1 both in the protein and mRNA levels. However, the Trx1 inhibitor PX-12 suppressed the protective effects of Sal. In addition, Sal inhibited NF-κB translocation and activation. These results suggest that Sal has a protective effect against MPP + -induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells via up-regulation of Trx1 expression and suppression of ASK1-P38-NF-κB pathway.