title: Inhibition of serum deprivation-induced PC12 cell apoptosis by tanshinone II A.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of tanshinone II A (Tan II A) on PC12 cell apoptosis induced by serum deprivation.
  
  
  METHODS
  PC12 cell survival was measured by MTT assay. The DNA content and percentage of apoptosis were monitored by flow cytometry and DNA fragmentation was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum-free (12 h) medium induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. When the cells had been treated with Tan II A (0.1 and 1 micromol . L-1) for 12 h, the percentage of PC12 cell apoptosis was greatly decreased to 25.71 % and 4.89 % from 96.07 % in serum deprivation alone group, and DNA fragmentation was prevented. Tan II A (0.01 - 10 micromol . L-1) attenuated the cytotoxic effect of sodium cyanide (20 mmol . L-1), glutamate (0.5 mmol . L-1), and sodium nitroprusside (0.5 mmol . L-1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tan II A prevented PC12 cells from apoptosis induced by serum-free medium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Z N
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: G Q
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D045784:Abietanes; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000494:pharmacology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D045784:Abietanes; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C021751:tanshinone