Neuroprotective effect of crude polysaccharide isolated from the fruiting bodies of Morchella importuna against H2O2-induced PC12 cell cytotoxicity by reducing oxidative stress

Oxidative stress played an essential role in neuronal cell injury through several apoptotic mechanisms associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. Reducing oxidative stress through antioxidants might be a possible strategy that could retard the disease's progression. In order to investigate the neuroprotective role of MIP (the crude polysaccharide extracted from the fruiting bodies of Morchella importuna), the antioxidative activity of MIP against the H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and the underlying preventative mechanisms in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells were illustrated. It was shown that MIP could considerably enhance the viability of PC12 cells exposure to H2O2 and increased the activities of antioxidant enzyme like CAT, GSH-Px and SOD. It also reduced the content of malondialdehyde MDA and caspase-3 activation. In addition, MIP inhibited cell apoptosis via down-regulation of the NF-κB pathway and the p38-JNK pathway as well as activating of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Accordingly, MIP can be used as a promising neuroprotective compound for nervous diseases treatment.