title: Protection by puerarin against MPP+-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells mediated by inhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase-3-like activation.
abstract: Puerarin, a main isoflavone glycoside distributed in Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, showed inhibitory activity on H2O2-induced PC12 cells damage in our previous work. However, there is insufficient evidence in protective mechanism of puerarin, especially that relating to the mitochondrial function. In this study, when cells were pretreated with puerarin prior to 0.4 mM MPP+, protective roles were accompanied by a reduction of cell viability loss, morphological changes of apoptosis and apoptotic rate. To explore the protective mechanism of puerarin in MPP+-induced PC12 cells, mitochondrial function and caspase-3-like activity were measured. The results indicated that puerarin inhibited the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c to cytosol and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potentials. In addition, puerarin also reduced MPP+-induced caspase-3-like activation. Taken together, the above results suggest that pretreatment of PC12 cells with puerarin could block MPP+-mediated apoptosis by mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Biological Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. bojiang0411@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Bao Yong
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.forename: Li Zhi
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Gang
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: An Li
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D015655:1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006540:Herbicides / Q000494:pharmacology; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D007529:Isoflavones; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D015655:1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium; C033607:puerarin