2. Academic Validation
  3. Shikonin inhibits neuronal apoptosis via regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress in the rat model of double-level chronic cervical cord compression

Shikonin inhibits neuronal apoptosis via regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress in the rat model of double-level chronic cervical cord compression

  • Cell Biol Toxicol. 2022 Jan 14. doi: 10.1007/s10565-021-09648-3.
Min Yao 1 2,  Gan Li 1 2,  Long-Yun Zhou 3,  Zhong Zheng 1 2,  Yue-Li Sun 1 2,  Shu-Fen Liu 1 2,  Yong-Jun Wang 4 5,  Xue-Jun Cui 6 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Spine Disease Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
  • 2 Key Laboratory of Theory and Therapy of Muscles and Bones, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
  • 3 Rehabilitation Medicine Center, Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
  • 4 Spine Disease Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. [email protected].
  • 5 Key Laboratory of Theory and Therapy of Muscles and Bones, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China. [email protected].
  • 6 Spine Disease Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. [email protected].
  • 7 Key Laboratory of Theory and Therapy of Muscles and Bones, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China. [email protected].
PMID: 35028790 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-021-09648-3
Abstract

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a clinically symptomatic entity arising from the spinal cord compression by degenerative diseases. Although endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been commonly observed in several neurodegenerative diseases, the relationship between ER stress and CSM remains unknown. Shikonin is known to protect PC12 by inhibiting Apoptosis in vitro. This study hypothesised that ER stress was vital in neuronal Apoptosis in CSM. Shikonin might inhibit such responses by regulating ER stress through the protein kinase-like ER kinase-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 α-subunit-C/EBP homologous protein (PERK-eIF2α-CHOP) signalling pathway. Thus, the aim of this study was evaluating the neuroprotective effect of shikonin in rats with double-level chronic cervical cord compression, as well as primary rat cortical neurons with glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. The result showed that ER stress-related upregulation of PERK-eIF2α-CHOP resulted in rat neuronal Apoptosis after chronic cervical cord compression; then, shikonin promoted motor recovery and inhibited neuronal Apoptosis by attenuating PERK-eIF2α-CHOP and prevented Bax translocation from cytoplasm to mitochondrion induced by CHOP of neurons in rats with chronic compression. Also, it was found that shikonin could protect rat primary cortical neuron against glutamate toxicity by regulating ER stress through the PERK-eIF2α-CHOP pathway in vitro. In conclusion, shikonin might inhibit neuronal Apoptosis by regulating ER stress through attenuating the activation of PERK-eIF2α-CHOP.

Keywords

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy; Endoplasmic reticulum stress; Neuronal apoptosis; Protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase; Shikonin.

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