Astragalus polysaccharide inhibits radiation-induced bystander effects by regulating apoptosis in Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs)

Cell Cycle. 2020 Nov;19(22):3195-3207. doi: 10.1080/15384101.2020.1838793. Epub 2020 Oct 30.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of astragalus polysaccharides (APS) on the proliferation and apoptosis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) induced by X-ray radiation-induced A549 cells bystander effect (RIBE), and to explore their mechanisms. In this study, APS increased the reduced cell proliferation rate induced by RIBE and inhibiting the apoptosis of bystander cells. In terms of mechanism, APS up-regulates the proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, and down-regulates the proteins Bax and Bak, which induces a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, which induces the release of Cyt-c and AIF, which leads to caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathway to cause apoptosis. In addition, we believe that ROS may be the main cause of these protein changes. APS can inhibit the generation of ROS in bystander cells and thus inhibit the activation of the mitochondrial pathway, further preventing cellular damage caused by RIBE.

Keywords: APS; Apoptosis; Astragalus Polysaccharide; BMSCs; Bystander Effect; RIBE.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Astragalus propinquus / chemistry*
  • Bystander Effect / drug effects*
  • Bystander Effect / radiation effects*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Up-Regulation / drug effects
  • X-Rays
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • BAX protein, human
  • BCL2 protein, human
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polysaccharides
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Nos. 81973595 and 82004094]; Collaborative Innovation Project of Chinese and Tibetan Medicine [No. XBXT2015-1], Project of Gansu Provincial Education Department [No. 2015A-095] and Project of Lanzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau[No. 2015-2-48].