title: Neuroprotective effects of tetramethylpyrazine on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells.
abstract: In the present study, we investigated the effects of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. The apoptosis in H2O2-induced PC12 cells was accompanied by a decrease in Bcl-2/Bax protein ratio, release of cytochrome c to cytosol and the activation of caspase-3. TMP not only suppressed the down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax and the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c to cytosol, but also attenuated caspase-3 activation and eventually protected against H2O2-induced apoptosis. These results indicated that TMP blocked H2O2-induced apoptosis by the regulation of Bcl-2 family members, suppression of cytochrome c release, and caspase cascade activation in PC12 cells.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Pharmaceutical Screening, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, 1 XianNongTan Street, Beijing 100050, PR China.
authors.forename: Xin-Rui
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Juan-Juan
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Guan-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010673:Pheochromocytoma; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011719:Pyrazines; D045304:Cytochromes c; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; C017953:tetramethylpyrazine