title: Gypenosides protects dopaminergic neurons in primary culture against MPP(+)-induced oxidative injury.
abstract: Oxidative injury has been implicated in the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Gypenosides (GPs), the saponins extract derived from the Gynostemma pentaphyllum, has various bioactivities. In this study, GPs was investigated for its neuroprotective effects on the 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP(+))-induced oxidative injury of dopaminergic neurons in primary nigral culture. It was found that GPs pretreatment, cotreatment or posttreatment significantly and dose-dependently attenuated MPP(+)-induced oxidative damage, reduction of dopamine uptake, loss of tyrosine hydrolase (TH)-immunopositive neurons and degeneration of TH-immunopositive neurites. However, the preventive effect of GPs was more potential than its therapeutical effect. Most importantly, the neuroprotective effect of GPs may be attributed to GPs-induced strengthened antioxidation as manifested by significantly increased glutathione content and enhanced activity of glutathione peroxidase, catalyze and superoxide dismutase in nigral culture. The neuroprotective effects of GPs are specific for dopaminergic neurons and it may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, PR China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Wei-Xin
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Xue-Lian
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lian-Ting
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guo-Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D015655:1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D029774:Gynostemma / Q000737:chemistry; D006540:Herbicides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C474918:gypenoside; D015655:1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium; D004298:Dopamine