Conclusion
Overall, the natural compounds did provide protection against the metal-induced PC12 cell damage. These data suggest that natural compounds may have therapeutic potential against metal-induced neurodegenerative disease.
Methods
In this in vitro experiment, rat PC12 cells were exposed to four heavy metals (CdCl2, HgCl2, CoCl2 and PbCl2) at different concentrations and cell apoptosis, necrosis and oxidative stress were assessed with and without the addition of the six natural compounds.
Results
The metals decreased cell viability but the natural compounds attenuated their effects on apoptosis, necrosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Mitochondrial protein changes were involved in the regulation.