Evidence of crocin against endothelial injury induced by hydrogen peroxide in vitro

Crocin, the digentiobiosyl ester of crocetin, was investigated for its cytoprotective effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced injury in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs). The morphology of BAECs was observed by inverted phase contrast and electron microscopy. The MTT assay was used to measure cell viability. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by DNA argarose gel electrophoresis. The cells treated with H2O2 (200 μM) showed apoptotic changes as revealed by cell shrinkage, condensation of nuclei, membrane blebbing and formation of apoptotic body. A concentration-dependent inhibition of cell injury was seen in cultures treated with crocin at dosages ranging from 1 to 10 μM. Furthermore, in the H2O2-treated group, agarose gel electrophoresis displayed a “DNA ladder”. Whereas in the 10 μM crocin-pretreated group, cells remained intact and no “DNA ladder” was observed in agarose gel electrophoresis. Only very little DNA debris appeared on DNA-fragmentation analysis in the 1 μM crocin-pretreated group. Our data demon...