Vanillic acid induces mitochondrial biogenesis in SH-SY5Y cells

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been recognized as an important mechanism of neurodegeneration. Accumulating evidence now suggests that defects in mitochondrial biogenesis can cause mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Therefore, identifying small molecules that can stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis may represent a therapeutic strategy for neuroprotection. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a natural compound vanillic acid (VA) on mitochondrial biogenesis and the expression of PD-related genes in SH-SY5Y cells. After determining the IC50 and non-toxic concentrations of VA, SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to a non-toxic dose of VA (300 µM) for 18 h. VA treatment resulted in significant increases in the mRNA expressions of mitochondrial biogenesis markers, PGC-1α and TFAM. Moreover, treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with 300 µM VA for 24 h significantly elevated the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number and mitochondrial mass. Furthermore, the effects of VA on the expression of PD-related genes were analyzed using a real-time PCR array. The PCR array analysis revealed that VA can induce the expression of some genes involved in neuronal differentiation and also affect the expression of two PARK genes, PARK2 and LRRK2, whose mutations cause familial PD. Together, these findings indicate that VA could serve as a potential neuroprotective agent by virtue of its ability to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis in neuronal cells and to alter the expression of some genes related to the pathogenesis of PD and neuronal differentiation.