Antiapoptotic and antioxidant effects of rosmarinic acid in astrocytes.

The protective effects of rosmarinic acid (RA), a polyphenolic compound, on apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide in astrocytes were studied. Pretreating cells with RA significantly increased cell viability and decreasedapoptosis rate induced by H 2 O 2 . The antiapoptotic effect of RA was further confirmed by increase of mitochondrial membrane potential and inhibition of caspase-3 activity. RA also attenuated cellular oxidative stress by decreasing the amount of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde. Results clearly show that RA was able to attenuate H 2 O 2 -induced cell injury by its antiapoptotic and antioxidant activity.