Effect of Maca (Lepidium Meyeni W.) on Levels of Induced Hsp72 Deregulation

Abstract

Heat shock protein (Hsp) 72 is a molecular chaperone that is overregulated under conditions of stress and proteotoxic damage, associated with cellular protection. The Peruvian tuber maca Lepidium Meyeni W. has pharmacological properties associated with neuprotection. To determine their relationship, this study examines the effect of H2O2 and β-amyloid as toxic agents on the differentiated SH-SY5Y cell line causing deregulation of Hsp72 and the effect presented by pentanic extracts of red, yellow and black maca hypocotyls at concentrations of 0.5 and 1 ppm by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. The expression of Hsp72 caused by toxicants was high, accompanied by a translocation process, evidencing the protective effect on the nucleus of neuroblastoma cells by Hsp72 under stress conditions, the increase of Hsp72 expression has been regulated with the previous application of maca extracts, evidencing the permanence in the presence and concentration of Hsp72 in cytoplasm, thus showing the protective effect of maca by inhibiting the need for the action of Hsp72 as neuroprotective of the nucleus.