title: Protocatechuic acid inhibits rat pheochromocytoma cell damage induced by a dopaminergic neurotoxin.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) with the presence of alpha-synuclein inclusions termed Lewy bodies. The aggregation of alpha-synuclein into oligomeric species affects neuronal viability, having a causal role in the development of PD. The neuroprotective effects of protocatechuic acid (PAc) have been reported. However, the effects of PAc on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and alpha-synuclein in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells treated with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP(+)) remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that PAc inhibited the cytotoxicity, apoptotic morphology, reduction of TH expression and abnormal oligomeration of alpha-synuclein in PC12 cells treated with MPP(+). Taken together, our results indicate that the neuroprotective effects of PAc on PC12 cells treated with MPP(+) is related to the inhibition of the oligomerization of alpha-synuclein.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, P R China.
authors.forename: Hong-Ning
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chun-Na
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: De-An
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Pu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; D009498:Neurotoxins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; C009091:protocatechuic acid; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine