Effects of Panax notoginseng saponins on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in cultured rabbit bone marrow stromal cells

Objective To investigate the effects of Panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)on hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)-induced apoptosis in cultured rabbit bone marrow stromal cells(BMSCs).Methods BMSCs from 3-month-old New Zealand rabbits were isolated and cultured by the density gradient centrifugation combined with adherent method.The cultured BMSCs were divided into three groups:normal control,H2O2 treatment(100μmol/L),and PNS pretreatment(0.1g/L).Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels as the index of oxidative stress were measured by using 2'7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate.Flow cytometry was used to observe the apoptosis of BMSCs by staining with annexinV-FITC/PI.The protein expression of Bax in BMSCs was analyzed by Western blotting.Activity of caspase-3 enzyme was measured by spectrofluorometry.Results Pretreatment with PNS significantly decreased intracellular ROS level induced by H2O2(P<0.01).PNS markedly attenuated H2O2-induced apoptosis rate from 38.68% to 19.24%(P<0.01).PNS reversed H2O2-induced augmentation of Bax expression.Furthermore,PNS markedly reduced the altered in activity of caspase-3 enzyme induced by H2O2(P<0.01).Conclusion PNS has a protective effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in cultured rabbit BMSCs by scavenging ROS and decreasing Bax expression and caspase-3 activity.