Research Article

Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells

Volume: 47 Number: 2 April 29, 2026

Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells

Abstract

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and glioma progression, with glial cells being central to maintaining redox homeostasis. Clonidine, an α2-adrenergic and imidazoline receptor agonist, has demonstrated neuroprotective and antioxidant effects in various experimental models. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of clonidine against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative damage in C6 glial cells. C6 glioma cells were pretreated with clonidine (0.3–4.8 µM) for 1 hour, followed by exposure to 0.5 mM H₂O₂ for 24 hours, and cell viability was assessed using the XTT assay, while total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured using commercial kits and ELISA. H₂O₂ exposure significantly reduced cell viability and antioxidant parameters while increasing oxidative markers; however, clonidine treatment significantly improved cell viability, elevated TAS and SOD levels, and decreased TOS levels compared to the H₂O₂ group, demonstrating its dose-dependent protective effect against oxidative stress. These findings suggest that clonidine mitigates oxidative damage in C6 glial cells, potentially through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and imidazoline receptor-mediated mechanisms, and may have therapeutic relevance in conditions characterized by glial oxidative stress, including neurodegenerative diseases and glioma.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK

Project Number

1919B012108393

Ethical Statement

Not applicable. This study did not involve human participants or animal experiments

References

  1. Awasaki, T., Lai, S. L., Ito, K., & Lee, T. (2008). Organization and postembryonic development of glial cells in the adult central brain of Drosophila. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 28(51), 13742–13753. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4844-08.2008
  2. Garden, G. A., & Campbell, B. M. (2016). Glial biomarkers in human central nervous system disease. Glia, 64(10), 1755–1771. https://doi.org/10.1002/glia.22998
  3. Cabezas, R., El-Bachá, R. S., González, J., & Barreto, G. E. (2012). Mitochondrial functions in astrocytes: neuroprotective implications from oxidative damage by rotenone. Neuroscience research, 74(2), 80–90 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neures.2012.07.008
  4. Gleichman, A. J., & Carmichael, S. T. (2020). Glia in neurodegeneration: Drivers of disease or along for the ride?. Neurobiology of disease, 142, 104957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104957
  5. Sies, H., & Cadenas, E. (1985). Oxidative stress: damage to intact cells and organs. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 311(1152), 617–631 https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1985.0168.
  6. Halliwell B. (2007). Biochemistry of oxidative stress. Biochemical Society transactions, 35(Pt 5), 1147–1150. https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0351147
  7. López-Alarcón, C., & Denicola, A. (2013). Evaluating the antioxidant capacity of natural products: a review on chemical and cellular-based assays. Analytica chimica acta, 763, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2012.11.051
  8. Fernandez-Fernandez, S., Almeida, A., & Bolaños, J. P. (2012). Antioxidant and bioenergetic coupling between neurons and astrocytes. The Biochemical journal, 443(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1042/BJ20111943

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Basic Pharmacology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 29, 2026

Submission Date

November 5, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 3, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 47 Number: 2

APA
Çetindağ, A., Özbek, S. N., & Hacısüleyman, L. (2026). Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, 47(2), 216-222. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1816408
AMA
1.Çetindağ A, Özbek SN, Hacısüleyman L. Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells. CSJ. 2026;47(2):216-222. doi:10.17776/csj.1816408
Chicago
Çetindağ, Arzuhan, Sümeyye Nur Özbek, and Levent Hacısüleyman. 2026. “Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47 (2): 216-22. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1816408.
EndNote
Çetindağ A, Özbek SN, Hacısüleyman L (April 1, 2026) Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47 2 216–222.
IEEE
[1]A. Çetindağ, S. N. Özbek, and L. Hacısüleyman, “Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells”, CSJ, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 216–222, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.17776/csj.1816408.
ISNAD
Çetindağ, Arzuhan - Özbek, Sümeyye Nur - Hacısüleyman, Levent. “Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47/2 (April 1, 2026): 216-222. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1816408.
JAMA
1.Çetindağ A, Özbek SN, Hacısüleyman L. Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells. CSJ. 2026;47:216–222.
MLA
Çetindağ, Arzuhan, et al. “Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, vol. 47, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 216-22, doi:10.17776/csj.1816408.
Vancouver
1.Arzuhan Çetindağ, Sümeyye Nur Özbek, Levent Hacısüleyman. Clonidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress Induced by H₂O₂ in C6 Glial Cells. CSJ. 2026 Apr. 1;47(2):216-22. doi:10.17776/csj.1816408

As of 2026, Cumhuriyet Science Journal will be published in six issues per year, released in February, April, June, August, October, and December