Neuroprotection of Indole-Derivative Compound NC001-8 by the Regulation of the NRF2 Pathway in Parkinson’s Disease Cell Models

Figure 2

Neuroprotective effect of NC001-8 in SH-SY5Y-differentiated DAergic neurons. (a) Scheme of the experimental design. In the pretreatment group, cells were pretreated with NC001-8 during DAergic neuronal differentiation. On day 14, MPP⁺ (1 mM) was applied to induce death of DAergic neurons. In the posttreatment group, MPP⁺ was added to the medium between day 14 and day 16, followed by two-day treatment with NC001-8 (100 nM). (b) Cell viability (total counts with cells), (c) LDH assay (total counts with cells), (d) ROS production, (e) percentage of TH-positive cells (total counts with greater than 500 cells), (f) neurite outgrowth (total counts with greater than 500 cells), (g) caspase 3 activity assay, and (h) Western blot analysis of cleaved caspase 3 of DAergic neurons treated with MPP⁺ and/or NC001-8. Data were normalized to GAPDH and compared to cells with no treatment (, independent assays). (). DAergic: dopaminergic; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; MPP⁺: 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium; ROS: reactive oxygen species; TH: tyrosine hydroxylase.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)