Arctiin Rescues Mitochondrial Functions Damage Induced by Ischemia and Reperfusion in PC12 Cells

Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury refers to brain tissue damage during the restoration of blood supply. To develop effective therapeutic modalities, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this process is needed. Arctium lappa L., a popular medicinal herb and health supplement, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory effect. Arctiin, a major active component of A. lappa L., seems to be responsible for its activity. However, the effects of arctiin in cerebral ischemia reperfusion, and the mechanism(s) involved is not clear. To this end, an in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion model of PC12 cells was constructed. Results of our studies show that arctiin increased the survival rate, decreased apoptosis, and restored mitochondrial function of oxygen–glucose deprivation/reperfusion-induced PC12 cell. Furthermore, arctiin relieved mitochondrial functions damage via targeting extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. These data highy suggest that arctiin could serve as a promising drug for the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.