Phenolic antioxidants attenuate neuronal cell death following uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein

Oxidative stress is implicated in neuronal loss associated with neurodegene ration such as in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline. Recent reports indicate that the consumption of flavonoi d-rich fruits partly reverses the age-related neuronal and cognitive declin e. In this study, cultured striatal neurons were exposed to oxidized lipids in the form of low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) as a model for the inductio n of oxidative injury, and the abilities of phenolic antioxidants, flavonoi ds and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, to attenuate this neuronal damage were examined. OxLDL was demonstrated to enter neuronal cells and to be cap able of eliciting neurotoxicity in a dose- and time-dependent manner, induc ing DNA fragmentation and cell lysis. Flavonoids exert protective effects, which appear to be related to specific structural characteristics, particul arly relevant being those defining their reduction potentials and partition coefficients. In summary, these data suggest a possible role for flavonoid s in reducing neurodegeneration associated with chronic disorders in which oxidative stress is implicated. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.