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| In this paper Objective Obestatin is an endogenous peptide sharing the same peptide precursor with ghrelin. We aimed to investigate whether and how obestatin could exert neuroprotective effects on MES23.5 dopaminergic cells against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced neurotoxicity. Methods MES23.5 cells were pretreated with obestatin (10-13 ~ 10-6 mol/L) for 20 min prior to 200 μmol/L MPP+ incubation for 12 or 24 hrs, or treated with different doses of obestatin (10-13 ~ 10-7 mol/L) for 0, 6, 12, 24 hrs, respectively. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to measure cell viability. Flow cytometry was used to measure the caspase-3 activity and the mitochondrial transmembrane potential. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein levels were determined by western blotting. Results Obestatin (10-13 ~ 10-7 mol/L) pretreatment could block or even reverse MPP+-induced reduction of cell viability in MES23.5 cells. Solely obestatin treatment increased cell viability. However, it had no effects on MPP+-induced mitochondrial transmembrane potential collapse and caspase-3 activation. Elevated PCNA levels were observed with 10-7, 10-9, 10-11 and 10-13 mol/L obestatin treatment for 12 hrs. Conclusion The protective effects of obestatin against MPP+ in MES23.5 cells were due to its proliferative rather than anti-apoptotic effects. |
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| Keywords: Obestatin; MPP+; Proliferation; Apoptosis; Dopaminergic cells |
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