Caratterizzazione di sostanze antiossidanti potenzialmente efficaci nelle patologie neurodegenerative mediate dallo stress ossidativo

Oxidative stress is a condition induced by overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The imbalance between ROS production and endogenous antioxidants is an important factor characterizing different neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of this work was to test as antioxidant some compounds, already known in literature for other pharmacological activities. The experiments were performed in PC12 cells a neuronal model widely used, to evaluate the antioxidant activity of different compounds both natural and synthetic such as Linalool (LIN), poly [3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)] glyceric acid (PDPGA) and Naloxone (NLX). These drugs were tested in PC12 cells where an oxidative damage was induced by exposing cells to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for 24 h. The results revealed that only LIN and NLX significantly reduced the cytotoxic effect of H2O2 as highlighted by MTT and LDH assays. In addition, both compounds were able to decrease the ROS amount and the apoptotic cells percentage in presence of oxidative stress. This mechanism could justify the antioxidant effect of these compounds and suggest LIN and NLX as potential therapeutic agents for the management of oxidative stress-mediated neurodegeneration.