The anti-apoptotic and anti-autophagic effects of EPO through PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in MAC-T cells

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an important inflammatory and infected factor of Bacterial mastitis, which treated bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T) in our previous studies, as mastitis cells model in vitro. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a well-known hematopoietic hormone with antioxidative, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory roles. We hypothesized that EPO might regulate the Apoptosis and Autophagy to attenuate the inflammation of mastitis. Western blot, RT-PCR, transmission electron microscope analysis and Annexin V-FITC/PI were used to evaluate the regulation of EPO on Apoptosis and Autophagy in inflammatory MAC-T cells. These results demonstrated that EPO promoted the proliferation of MAC-T cells. Meanwhile, EPO had a better anti-inflammatory effect in MAC-T cells with LPS treatment. Certainly, EPO also showed anti-apoptotic and anti-autophagic effects. Interestingly, we found that the beneficial effect of EPO on inflammatory MAC-T cells depended on the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, which was involved in the regulation of Apoptosis and Autophagy. Generally, this study provides an insight for EPO to inhibit Apoptosis and Autophagy of inflammatory MAC-T cells via PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.