Neuroprotective effects of ginkgo biloba extract against paraquatª²induced PC12 cell line damage and its mechanism

    KANG Xiaoª²Gang, CHEN Jianª²Zong, WANG Baiª²Ren, XU Zhen, LI Haiª²Long, XI Shuª²Fang

    1Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine in Elderly Distasts, Xijing Hospital, 2PLA Institute of Neurobiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¬ðan 710033, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To study the neuroprotective effect and related mechanisms of ginkgo biloba extract (EGB761) against paraquatª²(PQ) induced apoptosis in pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. METHODS: Using PQª²induced PC12 cells damage as the model of Parkinson¬ðs disease in vitro, the cytotoxicity of PQ was measured by 3ª²[4, 5ª²dimethylthiazolª²2ª²yl]ª²2, 5ª²diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, the impairment of PC12 cells was detected by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, the apoptosis of PC12 cells was detected by flow cytometry and the morphological change of PC12 cells was observed by caspaseª²3 immunocytochemical staining. RESULTS: 40 mg/L EGB761 played a protective role in the damage induced by 300 ¦Ìmol/L PQ for 24 h. EGB761 significantly inhibited LDH release induced by PQ in PC12 cells (0.25¡À0.01)(P<0.05 vs PQ group). EGB761 decreased the rate of apoptosis to 17.1% and the overexpression of caspaseª²3 induced by PQ in PC12 cells. CONCLUSION: EGB761 can protect cells from the necrosis and apoptosis induced by PQ, which may be related to the inhibition of caspaseª²3 protease activation. ......