Bacopa monnieri protects neuronal cell line and Caenorhabditis elegans models of Alzheimer’s disease through sigma-1 receptor antagonist sensitive and antioxidant pathways

BACKGROUND: Due to better health care and improved nutritional status of the world’s population, many people live into old age. This has resulted in more diseases related to aging, such as neurodegenerative diseases. Bacopa monnieri (BM) is a medicinal herb found in Southeast Asia and is a popular memory-enhancing supplement. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate how BM may provide protection in neurodegenerative disease, and whether the sigma-1 receptor is involved. METHODS: PC-12 cells were differentiated with the addition of nerve growth factor. The potentiation by BM of PC-12 neurite growth was measured by counting the number of differentiated cells and by measuring their length. Differenciated PC-12 cells were also subjected to amyloid-β (Aβ) toxicity in the presence and absence of BM. The cell survival (MTT and cell counting) and neurite lengths were then measured as indicators of cellular health. Total protein was extracted from control and treated cells and expression of various signalling pathway molecules was assessed via western blotting. We also assessed the effects of BM on the life spans of various mutant strains plus wild type C.elegans. RESULTS: We show that BM can protect against Aβ toxicity in PC-12 cells. Furthermore, BM can potentiate neurite outgrowth in PC-12, in a sigma-1 receptor antagonist sensitive fashion, and Neuro 2A cell lines. BM induced a reduction in pAKT expression and upregulated BDNF expression in PC-12 cells. BM was also able to increase the lifespan and health-span of Aβ expressing C. elegans mutants via the DAF-16 mediated pathway. BM reduced oxidative stress in wild-type C. elegans exposed to UV-A with pre-exposure and post-exposure treatments. CONCLUSIONS: This all further identifies BM as a potential agent to treat neurodegenerative diseases, by modulating different pathways.