Fig. 1.

Effect of reserpine on dopamine (DA) content (A) and glutathione (GSH) content (B) of PC12 cells. PC12 cells, cultured for 2 d, were rinsed free of culture medium and incubated for either 1 or 3 hr at 37°C in a phosphate buffer (see Materials and Methods) in the absence or presence of 50 nmreserpine, respectively. Subsequently, the cells were lysed and the DA, GSH, and protein content in parallel cultures was determined as detailed in Materials and Methods. Data represent the mean ± SEM (n = 5–6) from two independent experiments. Between experiments, at the start of incubation (i.e.,t = 0), DA content averaged from 1.8 to 3.3 nmol/mg protein, whereas GSH content averaged from 1.6 to 3.1 nmol/mg protein. Therefore, the data are expressed as percentage of DA or GSH content att = 0. *p < 0.001 versus control at t = 0; **p < 0.001 versus respective time control.