Resveratrol oligomers from Vitis amurensis attenuate β-amyloid-induced oxidative stress in PC12 cells

Oxidative damage induced by β-amyloid (Aβ) is closely associated with the hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may play a critical role in the development of AD. In this study, the protective effects of vitisin A and heyneanol A, resveratrol oligomers isolated from Vitis amurensis RUPR. (Vitaceae), against Aβ-induced oxidative cell death were investigated using rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Exposure of PC12 cells to the Aβ (20 μM) for 24 h resulted in neuronal cell death, whereas pretreatment with vitisin A or heyneanol A at the concentration range of 5-50 μM reduced Aβ-induced cell death. In addition, Aβ-induced elevation of reactive oxygen species generation, the primary cause of Aβ-induced oxidative stress, was attenuated by treatment of vitisin A or heyneanol A (10, 25, 50 μM). Aβ-treated cells also displayed characteristic features of apoptosis such as induction of DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation, but vitisin A and heyneanol A (10, 50 μM) significantly suppressed these events. These results suggest that vitisin A and heyneanol A prevent Aβ-induced neurotoxicity through attenuating oxidative stress induced by Aβ, and may be useful as potential preventive or therapeutic agents for AD.