Scutellariae radix extracts suppress ethanol-induced caspase-11 expression and cell death in N2a cells

Scutellariae radix is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been used to treat disease conditions accompanying inflammation and oxidative stress. In the present study, we examined the effect of Scutellariae radix extracts during acute ethanol exposure in N2a neuroblastoma. The Scutellariae radix extracts effectively inhibited ethanol-induced apoptosis and caspase-3/-7 activation. Ethanol induced the expression of caspase-11 that has been known as a dual regulator of pathological apoptosis and inflammatory response. The ethanol-induced caspase-11 expression was suppressed by pretreatment of the Scutellariae radix extracts. Furthermore, the activation of caspase-3/-7 and apoptosis were significantly inhibited in caspase-11−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts following ethanol treatment. These results suggest that caspase-11 has a regulatory role in ethanol-induced apoptosis, and the suppression of caspase-11 may be a mechanism by which Scutellariae radix exerts its cytoprotective effect.