D-β-hydroxybutyrate inhibits the apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by 6-OHDA in relation to up-regulating the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax mRNA

D-beta-hydroxybutyrate (D beta HB) is a predominant member of ketone bodies produced by hepatocytes and, to a lesser extent, by astrocytes. It is an alternative source of energy in the brain when glucose supply is depleted such as during starvation. It has been reported that ketone bodies could protect dopaminergic culture. However, the biological function of D[ HB in Parkinson disease (PD) is still unclear. In the present work, we investigated the role of D beta HB in protecting rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells from apoptosis induced by 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). D beta HB rescued PC12 cells from apoptotic death induced by 6-OHDA by MTT assay, acridine orange (AO) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl trans fera se-mediated dUTP nick end labeling TUNEL) staining and the activity of caspase-3. D beta HB prevented the decrease of cell viability and the increase of caspase-3 activity induced by 6-OHDA in a dose-dependent manner in PC12 cells. AO and TUNEL staining showed that D beta HB prevented the apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by 6-OHDA. The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax at mRNA levels, which regulates the apoptosis of PC12 cells when exposed to 6-OHDA, increased when D beta HB was preincubated. The data showed that D beta HB inhibited the apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by 6-OHDA in relation to up-regulating the ratio of Bcl-2/13ax mRNA. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.