Protective effect of verbascoside on 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells

The neuroprotective effects of verbascoside, one of phenylpropanoid glucoside isolated from the Chinese herbal medicine Buddleja officinalis Maxim, on 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) induced apotosis and oxidative stress in PC 12 neuronal cells were investigated. Treatment of PC12 cells with MPP+ for 48 h induced apoptotic death as determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry, the activation of caspase-3 measured by the caspase-3 activity assay kit, the reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential with laser scanning confocal microscopy and the increase in the extracellular hydrogen peroxide level. Simultaneous treatment with verbascoside markedly attenuated MPP+-induced apoptotic death, increased extracellular hydrogen peroxide level, the activation of caspase-3 and the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential. These results strongly indicate that verbascoside may provide a useful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of oxidative stress-induced neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's disease. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.