Activating the PGC-1α/TERT Pathway by Catalpol Ameliorates Atherosclerosis via Modulating ROS Production, DNA Damage, and Telomere Function: Implications on Mitochondria and Telomere Link

Figure 6

Catalpol decreases ROS accumulation and DNA damage and ameliorates telomere function through upregulating PGC-1α expression. THP-1 cells were exposed to PMA (100 ng/mL) for 72 h to induce macrophage formation and then transfected with small nontargeting RNA for si-control or si-PGC-1α for 12 h, then treated with oxLDL or catalpol for an additional 24 h and harvested and analyzed by Western blot analysis. (a) Knockdown of PGC-1α by its specific siRNA, . (b) Effect of catalpol on increasing PGC-1α and TERT protein expression and decreasing p53 protein expression was attenuated with PGC-1α siRNA, . (c) Effect of catalpol on ROS production with PGC-1α siRNA, . (d) Effects of catalpol on cell apoptosis with PGC-1α siRNA, . (e) Effects of catalpol on cell senescence and DNA damage, . (f) Telomerase activity, . (g) Oxidative DNA damage, . compared to the control group; compared to the oxLDL group; compared with the si-PGC-1α group, compared with the oxLDL-treated si-PGC-1α group. Error bars depict the standard deviation.

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