Protocatechuic Acid Inhibits Rat Pheochromocytoma Cell Damage Induced by a Dopaminergic Neurotoxin

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) with the presence of α-synuclein inclusions termed Lewy bodies. The aggregation of α-synuclein into oligomeric species affects neuronal viability, having a causal role in the development of PD. The neuroprotective effects of protocatechuic acid (PAc) have been reported. However, the effects of PAc on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-synuclein in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells treated with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP⁺) remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that PAc inhibited the cytotoxicity, apoptotic morphology, reduction of TH expression and abnormal oligomeration of α-synuclein in PC12 cells treated with MPP⁺. Taken together, our results indicate that the neuroprotective effects of PAc on PC12 cells treated with MPP⁺ is related to the inhibition of the oligomerization of α-synuclein.