Modulation of Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress in Human Neuronal Cells by Thymoquinone-Rich Fraction and Thymoquinone via Transcriptomic Regulation of Antioxidant and Apoptotic Signaling Genes

Figure 5

Acridine orange- (AO-) propidium iodide (PI) double staining cell morphological assessment. Morphological changes of SH-SY5Y cells pretreated with Thymoquinone (TQ) and Thymoquinone-rich fraction (TQRF) for 24 h followed by subsequent exposure to 250 μM H₂O₂ for 3 h. (a) Untreated cells (control), (b) 250 μM H₂O₂ alone, (c) 0.03 μg/mL TQRF + 250 μM H₂O₂, (d) 0.1 μg/mL TQRF + 250 μM H₂O₂, (e) 0.03 μg/mL TQ + 250 μM H₂O₂, and (f) 0.1 μg/mL TQ + 250 μM H₂O₂. Viable cells are stained green by acridine orange, while late apoptotic and necrotic cells are stained orange and red by propidium iodide. (g) The percentage of dead cells. Values represent mean ± SD. Mean values labeled with different alphabets are significantly different at .

(a) Control

(b) 250 μM H₂O₂

(c) 0.03 μg/mL TQRF + 250 μM H₂O₂

(d) 0.1 μg/mL TQRF + 250 μM H₂O₂

(e) 0.03 μg/mL TQ + 250 μM H₂O₂

(f) 0.1 μg/mL TQ + 250 μM H₂O₂

(g)