Salidroside protects against MPP+-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells by inhibiting the NO pathway

Oxidative stress plays an important role in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Salidroside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from Rhodiola rosea L., has potent antioxidant properties. In the present study, we investigated the protective activity of salidroside against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. We found that incubation of PC12 cells with salidroside prior to MPP+ exposure significantly reduced cell apoptosis and attenuated collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Furthermore, salidroside inhibited the MPP+-induced nitric oxide (NO) increase and overexpression of nNOS and iNOS and suppressed accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and intracellular free Ca2+. Our results show that the protective effects of salidroside on PC12 cells are mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of the NO pathway.