Vol.26 No.5（2004 October）：539-543

The Mechanism of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium Resulting in the Death of Dopaminergic Cell Line MES23.5

Qiu-Zhen Fu ^1,2, Sheng-Li Xu ¹, Xiao-Hong Zuo ¹, Yan-Ling Xu ¹, Biao Chen^1*

（¹Beijing Geriatric Clinical & Research Center, Xuanwu Hospital of the Capital University of the Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China; ²Department of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital of the Forth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China）

Abstract: Through the measurement of the cellular viability, mitochondrial membrane potential (DY_M), reactive oxidant species (ROS) content, ·OH and superoxide dismutase (SOD) content after the exposure of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP⁺), the environment toxin, on dopaminergic cell line MES23.5, it was found that the cellular viability was significantly decreased after the exposure of MPP⁺ and the decrease was concentration and time dependent under more than 200 mmol/L MPP⁺. Significantly, the DY_M began to reduce and the ROS, the ·OH content began to increase gradually since 6 to 48 hours exposure of 200 mmol/L MPP⁺. The SOD content was not significantly reduced until 48 hours exposure. The results suggest that the increased ROS, especially ·OH, caused by disturbance of mitochondrial energy metabolism and the DY_M changes in early stage may result in MPP⁺-induced oxidative stress in dopaminergic cells and the damage of cellular free radical cleaning system may induce the dopaminergic cells degeneration and finally death.

Key words: Parkinson's disease; 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP⁺); oxidative stress

*Corresponding author. Tel: 86-10-83161294, Fax: 86-10-83161294, E-mail: pbchan@bjsap.org