• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.183-192
• /
• 2000

Objectives : The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of Danchun-hwan(DCH) on the peroxynitrite-induced neural cell death in human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y. Methods : The cultured cells were pretreated with DCH and exposed to 3-morpholinosydnonimine(SIN-1) that simultaneously generates NO and superoxide, thus possibly forming peroxynitrite. The cell damage was assessed by using MTT assay and crystal violet staining. Results : Exposure of the cells to SIN-1 for 24hr induced 75% apoptotic cell death, as evaluated by the occurrence of morphological nuclear changes characteristic of apoptosis using 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylinole(DAPI). However, pretreatment of SH-SY5Y with the water extracts of DCH, inhibited the apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. DCH also inhibited SIN-1-induced apoptotic caspase 3-like protease activity in a dose-dependent manner. DCH recovered the depleted glutathione levels by SIN-1. Conclusions : Taken together, it is suggested that DCH protected human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, from the free radical injury mediated by peroxynitrite by a mechanism of elevating antioxidant, GSH.