Huperzine B, a novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, attenuates hydrogen peroxide induced injury in PC12 cells

A number of studies indicate that free radicals are involved in the neurode generation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study was mainly conduc ted to examine the effect of Huperzine B on H2O2 induced toxicity in rat ph eochromocytoma line PC12 by measuring cell lesion, level of lipid peroxidat ion and antioxidant enzyme activities. Following a 30 min exposure of the c ells to H2O2 (150 mu M), a marked decrease in cell survival, activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase as well as increased production of malo ndialdehyde (MDA) were found. Pretreatment of the cells with huperzine B (1 0-100 mu M) prior to H2O2 exposure significantly elevated the cell survival , antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased the level of MDA. The above-m entioned neuroprotective effects are also observed with tacrine (1 mu M), d onepezil (10 mu M) and galanthamine (10 mu M), suggesting that the neuropro tective effects of cholinesterase inhibitor might partly contribute to the clinical efficacy in AD treatment. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. A ll rights reserved.