Protection of Momordica charantia polysaccharide against intracerebral hemorrhage-induced brain injury through JNK3 signaling pathway

Abstract

It has been well documented that Momordica charantia polysaccharide (MCP) has multiple biological effects such as immune enhancement, anti-oxidation and anti-cancer. However, the potential protective effects of MCP on stroke damage and its relative mechanisms remain unclear. Our present study demonstrated that MCP could scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) in intra-cerebral hemorrhage damage, significantly attenuating the neuronal death induced by thrombin in primary hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, we found that MCP prevented the activation of the c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK3), c-Jun and caspase-3, which was caused by the intra-cerebral hemorrhage injury. Taken together, our study demonstrated that MCP had a neuroprotective effect in response to intra-cerebral hemorrhage and its mechanisms involved the inhibition of JNK3 signaling pathway.

• Intracerebral hemorrhage
• JNK3 signaling pathway
• Momordica charantia polysaccharide
• reactive oxygen species

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Prof. Min Wang (School of Life Science and Biotechnology, China Pharmaceutical University) for providing MCP.

Declaration of interest

This work is supported by Great Research Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant (No. 81171075), Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (No. 13KJA310005, 11KJB310012), and A Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institution, Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Six big Talent Peak.