Tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside attenuates MPP+-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells by inhibiting ROS generation and modulating JNK activation.

It is known that oxidative stress plays a major role in the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous studies have suggested that 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (TSG), an active component extracted from a traditional Chinese herb Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., has significant antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activities. This is the first study that investigated the protective effects of TSG against MPP(+)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells and determined the underlying mechanism. The results showed that incubation of PC12 cells with TSG before exposing them to MPP(+) could significantly decrease cell viability loss and reverse cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The anti-apoptotic effects of TSG were probably mediated via the inhibition of ROS generation and modulation of JNK activation because TSG blocked ROS increase and JNK phosphorylation induced by MPP(+). Taken together, these results indicated that TSG may provide a useful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as PD.