Synthesis and protective effects of aralkyl alcoholic 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-pyranosides on hypoglycemia and serum limitation induced apoptosis in PC12 cell.

Neuroprotective agents have been in the focus of attention in the treatment of ischemic stroke. Salidroside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from Rhodiola rosea L., possessed a wide range of biological activities, especially neuroprotection. In an attempt to improve neuroprotective effects of new salidroside analogs for ischemic stroke, a series of novel aralkyl alcoholic 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-pyranosides were synthesized and their protective activities against the hypoglycemia and serum limitation induced cell death in rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells) were studied. Most compounds showed strong neuroprotective effects, especially for 4g and 4h, which exhibited a great potency superior to salidroside. MTT assay, Hoechst 33342 staining, and flow cytometry with annexin V/PI staining collectively showed that pretreatment with 4g and 4h attenuated cell viability loss and apoptotic cell death in cultured PC12 cells. Caspase-3 colorimetric assay and Rhodamine 123 staining revealed the changes in expression levels of caspase-3 and mitochondrial membrane potential in PC12 cells on exposure to hypoglycemia and serum limitation with and without 4g and 4h pretreatment, respectively. All the results suggested that 4g and 4h protects the PC12 cells against hypoglycemia and serum limitation induced apoptosis possibly by modulation of apoptosis-related gene expression and restoration of the mitochondrial membrane potential. Therefore, these novel findings may provided a new framework for the design of new aralkyl alcoholic 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-d-pyranosides as neuroprotective agents for treating cerebral ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.