We investigated whether 14 phenolic compounds isolated from Artemisia argyi could prevent the apoptotic damage caused by iodixanol, an iodinated contrast agent, on LLC-PK1 cells. Iodixanol was used to induce cytotoxicity in LLC-PK1 cells. Apoptotic cell death was observed as the fluorescence intensity emitted by annexin V and Hoechst 33342 stains. Western blotting was used to detect specific proteins. Seven phenolic compounds protected against iodixanol-induced LLC-PK1 cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. Among them, methyl caffeate exerted the strongest protective effect, and co-treatment with 50 and 100 μM methyl caffeate decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species elevated by 25 mg/mL iodixanol. In addition, the treatment of LLC-PK1 cells with iodixanol resulted in an increase in apoptotic cell death, which decreased by co-treatment with methyl caffeate. Iodixanol caused a cytotoxicity-related increase in the phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and P38; and a similar increase in the expression levels of kidney injury molecule-1 and cleaved caspase-3. However, the up-regulation of these proteins was reversed by co-treatment with methyl caffeate. These findings suggest that phenolic compounds isolated from A. argyi play an important role in protecting kidney epithelium cells against apoptotic damage caused by iodixanol.
Keywords: MAPKs; caspase-3; contrast agent; cytotoxicity; iodixanol; kidney injury molecule-1.