Salidroside protects against MPP+-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells by inhibiting the NO pathway

Oxidative stress plays an important role in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Salidroside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from Rhodiola rosea L., has potent antioxidant properties. In the present study, we investigated the protective activity of salidroside against 1-methy1-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. We found that incubation of PC12 cells with salidroside prior to MPP+ exposure significantly reduced cell apoptosis and attenuated collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Furthermore, salidroside inhibited the MPP+-induced nitric oxide (NO) increase and overexpression of nNOS and iNOS and suppressed accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and intracellular free Ca2+. Our results show that the protective effects of salidroside on PC12 cells are mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of the NO pathway. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.