Dual effects of alpha-synuclein on neurotoxicity induced by low dosage of rotenone are dependent on exposure time in dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of alpha-synuclein on toxicity induced by long-term exposure to relatively low concentrations of rotenone. Compared with the control groups, the inhibition of cell viability which overexpressed alpha-synuclein (SH-SY5Y-Syn) improved after 1 and 2 weeks of rotenone treatment. The complex I activity was greater and the mitochondrial membrane swelling intensity was reduced after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment, which indicated that alpha-synuclein, at least in part, resists the rotenone-induced oxidative stress. The results indicate that alpha-synuclein has a dual effect on toxicity of rotenone according to exposure time in human SH-SY5Y cells.