Mori Ramulus, the dried twigs of Morus alba L., has been attracting attention for its potent antioxidant activity, but its role in muscle cells has not yet been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of aqueous extracts of Mori Ramulus (AEMR) against oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in C2C12 mouse myoblasts, and in dexamethasone (DEX)-induced muscle atrophied models. Our results showed that AEMR rescued H2O2-induced cell viability loss and the collapse of the mitochondria membrane potential. AEMR was also able to activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in H2O2-treated C2C12 cells, whereas compound C, a pharmacological inhibitor of AMPK, blocked the protective effects of AEMR. In addition, H2O2-triggered DNA damage was markedly attenuated in the presence of AEMR, which was associated with the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Further studies showed that AEMR inhibited cytochrome c release from mitochondria into the cytoplasm, and Bcl-2 suppression and Bax activation induced by H2O2. Furthermore, AEMR diminished H2O2-induced activation of caspase-3, which was associated with the ability of AEMR to block the degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, thereby attenuating H2O2-induced apoptosis. However, compound C greatly abolished the protective effect of AEMR against H2O2-induced C2C12 cell apoptosis, including the restoration of mitochondrial dysfunction. Taken together, these results demonstrate that AEMR could protect C2C12 myoblasts from oxidative damage by maintaining mitochondrial function while eliminating ROS, at least with activation of the AMPK signaling pathway. In addition, oral administration of AEMR alleviated gastrocnemius and soleus muscle loss in DEX-induced muscle atrophied rats. Our findings support that AEMR might be a promising therapeutic candidate for treating oxidative stress-mediated myoblast injury and muscle atrophy.
Keywords: AMPK; Mori Ramulus; ROS; apoptosis; muscle atrophy; myoblast.