OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Aloe vera extract (AV) on mitochondria in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and rat brain and to study the mechanism of its neuroprotection.

METHODAfter treatment, the morphology of PC12 cells was observed under microscope, the activity of mitochondria in PC12 cells was measured by MTT method, and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in PC12 cells was detected by JC-1 method. The mitochondrial function in rat brain was detected by resazurin method. The production of malondialdehyd (MDA) in rat brain mitochondria was tested by thiobarbaturic acid (TBA) assay.

RESULTAV could improve mitochondrial damage induced by azide sodium (NaN3) in PC12 cells. The viability of PC12 cells treated with NaN364 mmol x L(-1) for 4 h decreased by 47.8%, and AV at 1 and 10 mg x L(-1) could respectively increase the viability of NaN3-treated cells by 16.7% (P < 0.05) and 22.3% (P < 0.01). MMP in PC12 cells in AV 1 and 10 mg x L(-1) group was significantly higher than that of NaN3-treated group (P < 0.05). AV also protected the structure and function of mitochondria in rat brain. AV at 10 mg x L(-1) had protective effect on mitochondria function impair induced by NaN3 (P < 0.01). AV 1 and 10 mg x L(-1) markedly inhibited the lipid peroxidation of brain mitochondria induced by Fe2+ -cysteine (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAV has protective effects on mitochondria of neuronal cells and rat brain.