Protective Effect of Sauchinone on Methamphetamine-Induced Neurotoxicity in Mice

• Main Authors: Eun Young Jang, Kyung Ah Park, Jong Rock Lee, Chae Ha Yang, Meeyul Hwang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2012-01-01
• Series: Journal of Pharmacological Sciences
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S134786131930547X

Sauchinone is a lignan isolated from Saururus chinensis known to suppress nitric oxide (NO) activity. Previous studies demonstrate that NO plays a key role in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. Thus, we hypothesized that sauchinone could have a suppressive effect on the neurotoxicity induced by methamphetamine. Repeated injections of methamphetamine cause degeneration of dopaminergic nerve terminals, whereas sauchinone treatment significantly prevented this degeneration. Sauchinone treatment also inhibited the methamphetamine-induced activation of glia cells and the production of NO via a blockade of inducible NO synthase protein expression. Our results suggest that sauchinone can prevent methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity through the suppression of NO production. Keywords:: methamphetamine, sauchinone, nitric oxide