Keywords
Oxidative Stress; Artemisia annua L.; Mouse Neuro2a; SOD1 and Gadd45a mRNA expression; Annexin V and Propidium Iodide; artemisinin
Abstract
Artemisia annua L. is a well-known medicinal herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for many centuries and contains artemisinin, which exhibits antimalarial properties [1] and is a potential treatment for SARS-CoV-2 [2]. However, the neurological effect of A. annua and its compounds are poorly understood. We hypothesize that A. annua extracts and artemisinin will provide protection against oxidative stress in mouse neuronal Neuro2A cells. Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is an anti-oxidant enzyme that protects against oxidative damage [3]. Growth Arrest and DNA Damage-inducible 45 alpha (Gadd45a) is involved in DNA repair and is a common biomarker for DNA damage[4]. SOD1 and Gadd45a mRNA expression was measured through RT-qPCR and analyzed using the 2-∆∆Ct method. Cell viability was measured using NucBlue, Annexin V, and propidium iodide to differentiate between apoptosis and necrosis. Cell counts were quantified using ImageJ (NIH). Our results showed that lower concentrations of 100 µg/mL A. annua treatment significantly reduced apoptotic cell death during oxidative stress. We also saw a general trend of decreasing Gadd45a mRNA expression at lower concentrations of A. annua treatment and a significant decrease in SOD1 mRNA levels from 0 to 100 µg/mL. This study suggests that lower concentrations of A. annua treatment prior to oxidative stress can increase cell viability and could protect Neuro2A cells from oxidative stress. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism of A. annua’s and artemisinin’s medicinal properties and further test their potential neuroprotective effects.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Hawthorne, Alicia
College
College of Medicine
Department
Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences
Thesis Discipline
Biomedical Sciences
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Lim, Wesley, "Examining the Effects of Artemisia annua on Neuro2A Cells" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 42.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/42
Included in
Biotechnology Commons, Botany Commons, Cell Biology Commons, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons, Pharmacology Commons