PROTECTION OF PC12 CELLS BY GLUTATHIONE-PEROXIDASE IN L-DOPA INDUCED CYTOTOXICITY

L-DOPA may cause side-effects during the treatment of Parkinson's dise ase. We investigated the role of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) in cel lular defense against L-DOPA cytotoxicity. A line of PC12 cells overex pressing GSHPx with plasmid pRc/CMV-GSHPx was established and stable t ransfectants overexpressing GSHPx were used for this study. GSHPx acti vity was found to be 1.5-fold higher in GSHPx-transfectants than in mo ck-controlled transfectants. Transfectants over expressing GSHPx were also significantly more resistant to exposure to either L-DOPA or t-bu tyl hydroperoxide than mock-transfected cells. Results suggested that L-DOPA may cause neuronal cell death by an oxidative pathway and GSHPx may play an important role in cellular defense against oxidative stre ss. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.