Protective Effect and Mechanism of Corn Peptide on Alcohol-Induced Injury in PC12 Cells

Abstract

The protective effect and possible mechanism of corn peptide on alcohol-induced injury in PC12 cells were explored. A cell model of alcohol-induced injury was established, and different concentrations of corn peptide were screened. Oxidative stress indicators such as glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and synaptic plasticity-associated proteins including postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95), growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and synaptophysin (SYN)) in PC12 cells pretreated with corn peptide were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The optimal alcohol concentration for inducing cell damage was determined to be 400 mmol/L based on cell viability and morphological changes, and three concentrations of corn peptide, 25 (low), 100 (medium), and 400 (high) μg/mL, were selected for this study. The experimental results showed that corn peptide at all three concentrations significantly increased the survival of alcohol-injured PC12 cells, increased the levels of GSH and SOD, inhibited MDA production, reduced the levels of TNF-α and IL-6, inhibited the increase in NF-κB levels induced by alcohol, increased the levels of NGF and BDNF, and elevated PSD-95 and GAP-43 levels, but had no regulatory effect on SYN levels. In conclusion, corn peptide has a protective effect on alcohol-induced injury in PC12 cells, and the mechanism involves multiple pathways.

Keywords

• corn peptide; alcohol-induced injury; pc12 cells; protective effect