Wei Yuan

Publications (2)4.31 Total impact

• Source

  Available from: zjyj.org.cn

  Article: Protective effects of echinacoside, one of the phenylethanoid glycosides, on H(2)O(2)-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells.

  Rong Kuang, Yiguo Sun, Wei Yuan, Li Lei, Xiaoxiang Zheng
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  ABSTRACT: We have investigated the protective effects of echinacoside (ECH), one of the phenylethanoid glycosides, on H(2)O(2)-induced cytotoxicity in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12 cells). Our data show that application of ECH to H(2)O(2)-injured PC12 cells (HIPCs) increased cell viability and decreased the apoptotic ratio. Flow cytometry (FCM) and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) analysis suggested that ECH exerted its inhibitory effects on the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the accumulation of intracellular free Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i). In addition, ECH elevated the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in HIPCs. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed that ECH prevented an H(2)O(2)-induced increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio by down-regulating Bax protein expression and upregulating Bcl-2 protein expression. In summary, ECH showed significant neuroprotective effects on HIPCs through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and could be a potential candidate for intervention in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
  Planta Medica 07/2009; 75(14):1499-504. · 2.15 Impact Factor
• Article: Astragaloside IV inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis in rat vascular smooth muscle cells under high glucose concentration in vitro.

  Wei Yuan, Yun Zhang, Yakun Ge, Ming Yan, Rong Kuang, Xiaoxiang Zheng
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  ABSTRACT: Astragaloside IV is one of the main active ingredients of Radix astragali, which is a herbal remedy widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, its effects on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC), which plays a key role in the development of diabetic vascular complications, were not well studied. The present study was performed to examine the effects of astragaloside IV on proliferation, apoptosis and phenotypic modulation of VSMC under high D-glucose (25 mM). Application of astragaloside IV inhibited the proliferation and the rise of the proliferation index (PI) of VSMC induced by high glucose in a dose-dependent manner. Astragaloside IV induced apoptosis in VSMC under high glucose conditions, accompanied with typical morphological alterations and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psim). In addition, Western blot analysis revealed that astragaloside IV increased the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin, an important phenotypic modulation marker. In conclusion, astragaloside IV could inhibit high glucose-induced VSMC proliferation through intervention with the cell cycle, promoting apoptosis and regulating phenotypic modulation of VSMC, which strongly suggest that astragaloside IV could hinder the process of pathological vascular remodeling in diabetic patients.
  Planta Medica 08/2008; 74(10):1259-64. · 2.15 Impact Factor