rLj-RGD3, a Novel Three-RGD-Motif-Containing Recombinant Protein from Lampetra japonica, Protects PC12 Cells from Injury Induced by Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation and Reperfusion

rLj-RGD3 is a 14.5 kDa recombinant protein with 3 RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) motifs from the salivary gland secretions of Lampetra japonica, which is a histidine-rich and arginine-rich protein. Previous reports indicated that rLj-RGD3 has typical functions of RGD-toxin protein, such as platelet aggregation suppression tumour metastasis and angiogenesis inhibition. Because histidine and arginine have cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and neuroprotective functions, we investigated whether rLj-RGD3 has such activities and studied the mechanism. The effects of rLj-RGD3 on neuroprotection and antiapoptosis were determined. The expression level of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), p-FAK, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2 after oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD-R) was examined. The viability of PC12 cells incubated with rLj-RGD3 at high concentrations (16 μmol/L) increased significantly due to its ability to protect the cells from apoptosis after OGD-R-induced injury. Furthermore, rLj-RGD3 attenuated the damage due to OGD-R. Most of the PC12 cells were apoptotic after OGD-R. In contrast, the number of apoptotic PC12 cells was significantly decreased in the group treated with a high-dose of rLj-RGD3. In addition, rLj-RGD3 activated FAK and p-FAK protein. rLj-RGD3 inhibited Caspase-3 and upregulated Bcl-2 protein expression in PC12 cells after OGD-R. The study provides the first evidence for neuroprotective effects of rLj-RGD3 in ischemic injury that may be partly mediated through inhibition of Caspase-3 and upregulation of Bcl-2, FAK, and p-FAK protein expression.