Cyanidin suppresses amyloid beta-induced neurotoxicity by inhibiting reactive oxygen species-mediated DNA damage and apoptosis in PC12 cells

Amyloid beta (A beta)-induced oxidative stress is a major pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Cyanidin, a natural flavonoid compound, is neuroprotective against oxidative damage-mediated degeneration. However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of cyanidin pretreatment against A beta-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Cyanidin pretreatment significantly attenuated A beta-induced cell mortality and morphological changes in PC12 cells. Mechanistically, cyanidin effectively blocked apoptosis induced by A beta, by restoring the mitochondrial membrane potential via upregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Moreover, cyanidin markedly protected PC12 cells from A beta-induced DNA damage by blocking reactive oxide species and superoxide accumulation. These results provide evidence that cyanidin suppresses A beta-induced cytotoxicity, by preventing oxidative damage mediated by reactive oxide species, which in turn inhibits mitochondrial apoptosis. Our study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of cyanidin in the prevention of oxidative stress-mediated A beta neurotoxicity.