Partridgeberry polyphenols significantly induced a decline in OGD/R injury-triggered apoptosis in vitro, suppressed the inflammatory biomarkers in primary neurons following hypoxic injury. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective ability of partridgeberry polyphenols in rat primary cortical neurons against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) injury in vitro and explore the underlying therapeutic mechanism(s). Methods The OGD/R injury was induced in rat primary cortical neurons by incubation with deoxygenated glucose-free medium in a hypoxia chamber. Results The strongest activity in this regard was exhibited by partridgeberry-derived PPF2 and PPF3, i.e. the flavan-3-ol- and flavonol-rich polyphenol fractions of partridgeberry (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, partridgeberry polyphenol pre-treatment reduced the membrane damage in primary neurons, as measured by the LDH release assay (P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, PPF2 and PPF3 pre-treatment (100 µg ml(-1)) for 24 hours, before OGD/R, resulted in the strongest suppression of IL-6and TNF-α induction by OGD/R injury, compared with the control group (P ≤ 0.05). Additionally, the protein levels of HIF-1α and PPARγ, quantified by ELISA presented a significant modulation following PPFs treatment (100 µg ml(-1)), favorably toward neuroprotection, compared with the respective controls after OGD/R injury in vitro (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion In summary, partridgeberry polyphenols at concentrations of 1-100 µg ml(-1), significantly induced a decline in OGD/R injury-triggered apoptosis in vitro, suppressed the inflammatory biomarkers in primary neurons, and modulatedthe activity of HIF-1α and PPARγ following hypoxic injury.