Venlafaxine Inhibits the Apoptosis of SHSY-5Y Cells Through Active Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

Objective: This study aimed to explore the mechanism of venlafaxine in regulating the apoptosis of SHSY-5Y cells induced by hypoxia. Methods: The CoCl2-induced neuronal hypoxia model was established based on SHSY-5Y cells. The morphology and related protein expression of SHSY-5Y cells were detected by qPCR, ELISA and Western blot. Results: Under the condition of hypoxia-induced by CoCl2, the expression of HIF-1 alpha in SHSY-5Y cells was up-regulated and the expression of beta-catenin was down-regulated. After adding siRNA targeting HIF-1 alpha to the culture cell system, down-regulation of beta -catenin expression in SHSY-5Y cells was restored. This confirmed the existence of the "hypoxia-HIF-1 alpha-Wnt/beta-catenin-depression" axis. Further studies have shown that venlafaxine can alleviate neuronal apoptosis induced by hypoxia by upregulating the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion: Venlafaxine regulates apoptosis induced by hypoxia through the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, which provides a new theoretical basis for the treatment of depression.