BACKGROUND: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common age-related neurodegenerative disorder, but effective therapeutic agents for PD remain largely limited.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the present study, we evaluated the beneficial effects and underlying mechanisms of punicalagin (PN) in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells treated with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to mimic PD in vitro. Cell viability was monitored by MTT assay and LDH release assay. Cell apoptosis was assayed by Annexin V-FITC/PI double-staining. Intracellular ROS production was assessed by DCFH-DA staining. The expression levels of protein and mRNA were determined by Western blotting and qRT-PCR analysis, respectively.

RESULTS: The results showed that pretreatment of SH-SY5Y cells with PN (50, 100, and 200 µM) prior to exposure to 200 µM 6-OHDA for 2 h resulted in increased cell viability and decreased cell apoptosis. PN also inhibited excessive oxidative stress in 6-OHDA-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, PN treatment effectively restored mitochondrial function and enhanced phosphorylation of AMPK. Furthermore, PN blocked 6-OHDA-induced NF-κB activation and IL-1β expression.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that PN exhibited neuroprotective effects on the 6-OHDA-treated SH-SY5Y cells, thus providing a potential theoretical insight for the clinical application of PN against PD.

Keywords: AMP-Activated Protein Kinases