Protective effects of Platycodon grandiflorus polysaccharides against apoptosis induced by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone in 3D4/21 cells

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of Platycodon grandiflorus polysaccharide (PGPS) on carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP)-induced mitochondrial apoptosis in 3D4/21 cells. Apoptosis-related indicators such as cell viability, apoptosis rate, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and apoptosis-related protein were examined. Results indicated that PGPSt can inhibit CCCP-induced cell damage, with cell-survival rate reaching 81% and apoptotic rate decreasing to 23%. Nuclear deformation was also significantly reduced in the PGPSt group, and changes in MMP were inhibited by PGPSt. Further analyses showed that the protein expression of Caspase-9 and Bcl-2 increased and the expression of cleaved Caspase-3 decreased, indicating that PGPSt significantly inhibited the CCCP-induced change in apoptotic protein expression. All these results suggested that PGPSt can antagonize 3D4/21 cell apoptosis by restoring MMP, protecting the integrity of nuclear morphology, and increasing Bcl-2 expression.