Ferulic acid attenuates the cerebral ischemic injury-induced decrease in peroxiredoxin-2 and thioredoxin expression

Neurosci Lett. 2014 Apr 30:566:88-92. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.02.040. Epub 2014 Feb 26.

Abstract

Ferulic acid, a phenolic phytochemical compound found in various plants, has a neuroprotective effect through its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation functions. Peroxiredoxin-2 and thioredoxin play a potent neuroprotective function against oxidative stress. We investigated whether ferulic acid regulates peroxiredoxin-2 and thioredoxin levels in cerebral ischemia. Sprague-Dawley rats (male, 210-230g) were treated with vehicle or ferulic acid (100mg/kg) after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and cerebral cortex tissues were collected 24h after MCAO. Decreases in peroxiredoxin-2 and thioredoxin levels were elucidated in MCAO-operated animals using a proteomics approach. We found that ferulic acid treatment prevented the MCAO-induced decrease in the expression of peroxiredoxin-2 and thioredoxin. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed that ferulic acid treatment attenuated the MCAO-induced decrease in peroxiredoxin-2 and thioredoxin levels. Moreover, immunoprecipitation analysis showed that the interaction between thioredoxin and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) decreased during MCAO, whereas ferulic acid prevented the MCAO-induced decrease in this interaction. Our findings suggest that ferulic acid plays a neuroprotective role by attenuating injury-induced decreases in peroxiredoxin-2 and thioredoxin levels in neuronal cell injury.

Keywords: Ferulic acid; Neuroprotection; Peroxiredoxin-2; Thioredoxin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain Ischemia / etiology
  • Brain Ischemia / metabolism*
  • Cerebral Cortex / drug effects
  • Cerebral Cortex / metabolism
  • Coumaric Acids / pharmacology*
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / complications
  • Male
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Peroxiredoxins / metabolism*
  • Proteome / metabolism
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Thioredoxins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Coumaric Acids
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Proteome
  • Thioredoxins
  • ferulic acid
  • Peroxiredoxins