Protective effect of sauchinone on methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in mice

Sauchinone is a lignan isolated from saururus chinensis known to suppress nitric oxide (no) activity. previous studies demonstrate that no plays a key role in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. thus,we hypothesized that sauchinone could have a suppressive effect on the neurotoxicity induced by methamphetamine. repeated injections of methamphetamine cause degeneration of dopaminergic nerve terminals,whereas sauchinone treatment significantly prevented this degeneration. sauchinone treatment also inhibited the methamphetamine-induced activation of glia cells and the production of no via a blockade of inducible no synthase protein expression. our results suggest that sauchinone can prevent methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity through the suppression of no production. © the japanese pharmacological society.