Protection of C2C12 skeletal muscle cells toward oxidation by a polyphenol-rich plant extract

Abstract

Sarcopenia is a very disabling age-related disease which affects the mass and strength of skeletal muscles. This syndrome has no efficient treatment and is associated with important oxidative stress which could play important role in skeletal muscle degeneration. In this context, the cytoprotective activity and the antioxidant properties of a polyphenol-rich plant extract (PRPE) were evaluated in und ifferentiated C2C12 murine skeletal muscle cells (myoblasts). PRPE is a potent anti oxidant mixture as shown by its reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging properties by using the Kit Radicaux Libres method and the dihydroethidium (DHE) scavenging assay. I n addition, PRPE has significant protecting properties in C2C12 cells toward oxidativ e stress triggered by 2, 2′-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) which is an R OS generator, as measured by different complementary approaches. PRPE counteracts several AAPH-induced cytotoxic effects. PRPE prevents morphological changes e valuated by phase contrast microscopy and decreases the number of dying cells det ermined by counting in the presence of trypan blue and the intracellular ROS overprodu ction evaluated by flow cytometry after staining with DHE. In addition, PRPE tends to n ormalize the expression of genes (peroxiredoxin 1 (Pdrx1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (Pgc1α)) involved in the oxidant stress defense under ROS exposure. Altogether; o ur data show that PRPE has potent antioxidant properties and protects C2C12 skeletal m uscle cells toward AAPH-induced oxidative stress. These cytoprotective properties of PRPE in skeletal muscle cells submitted to a pro-oxidant environment deserve fur ther investigation in the context of sarcopenia.

Keywords

• c2c12 skeletal muscle cells
• polyphenol-rich plant extract
• oxidative stress
• sarcopenia