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Ligustilide is widely thought to be the most potent bioactive constituent of Angelica sinensis . We have previously reported the role of ligustilide in preventing TNF-α-induced apoptosis and identified the presence of autophagosome clusters. Then, we hypothesised that autophagy may contribute to muscle loss and that ligustilide could protect cell fibres by regulating the autophagic process. The aim of this study was to identify the effects of ligustilide on autophagy regulation during cell differentiation in the presence of TNF-α. We then observed intracellular morphologic changes and autophagosome formation using transmission electron microscopy. LC3B expression was assessed by immunofluorescence and Atg-7, Atg-5, Atg-12 and LC3B expression levels were detected by western blot. The results revealed a reduction in the number of TNF-α-induced autophagosomes after ligustilide treatment accompanied by a decrease in Atg-7, Atg-5, Atg-12 and LC3B expression, as well as a reduction of the LC3BII/I ratio in a concentration-dependent manner. Our findings provide evidence supporting a protective effect of ligustilide against TNF-α-induced autophagy during myotubes formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ligustilide, the major component of Angelica sinensis, is also thought to be the most potent bioactive constituent of this plant. Ligustilide has been reported to markedly protect neural tissue against apoptosis. However, little is known regarding ligustilide's anti-apoptosis effect in muscle tissue. The aim of the study was to investigate the anti-apoptosis effects of ligustilide on TNF-α-induced C2C12 cells during differentiation. It was revealed that ligustilide at various concentrations significantly prevented the apoptosis of C2C12 cells incubated in TNF-α as assessed by apoptosis index and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, ligustilide-treated groups exhibited a significant increase in the bcl-2/bax ratio, pro-caspase 3 and pro-caspase 8 compared with the TNF-α-control group in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, ligustilide-treated groups presented a significantly increased level of phosphorylated Akt and suppressed expression of the myogenin protein. Therefore, the findings derived suggested that ligustilide protected C2C12 cells from TNF-α-induced apoptosis during differentiation by reducing apoptosis and inducing cell proliferation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]