Induction of nerve growth factor by butanol fraction of Liriope platyphylla in C6 and primary astrocyte cells.

Liriope platyphylla (LP) has been used as a tonic, antitussive, and expectorant in Korea for many years. In this study, we found that the buthanol fraction of Liriope platyphylla (BLP)-conditioned media of C6 and primary astrocyte induced the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells, and that the effect was reversed by addition of nerve growth factor (NGF)-antibody and GF109203X, an inhibitor of protein kinase (PKC). Furthermore, we demonstrated that BLP increased the expression and secretion of NGF. GF109203X also decreased NGF expression in C6 cells. Taken together, our results suggest that astroglial NGF enhanced by BLP in a PKC-dependent pathway contributed to the induction of neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells.