In vitro activity: Salidroside inhibits the growth of various human cancer cell lines in concentration- and time-dependent manners, and the sensitivity to salidroside is different in those cancer cell lines. Salidroside could cause G1-phase or G2-phase arrest in different cancer cell lines, meanwhile, salidroside resultes in a decrease of CDK4, cyclin D1, cyclin B1 and Cdc2, and upregulates the levels of p27(Kip1) and p21(Cip1). Salidroside also alleviates cell viability loss and apoptotic cell death induced by H(2)O(2) stimulation in cultured NGF-differentiated PC12 cells by activating ERK1/2 pathway and inhibiting caspase-3 activation. Salidroside activates the PI3K/Akt pathway resulting in protective effects against MPP(+)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells, which may be used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Cell Assay: SH-SY5Y cells are seeded in 96-well plates at 1×10⁴ cells per well. After the treatment with Salidroside (25-100 μM) and MPP+, cell viability is measured by MTT assay. Briefly, cells are incubated with 500 μg/mL MTT at 37°C for 4 h. After that, the medium is removed and 150 μL DMSO is added and shaking is conducted for 10 min. Absorbance is measured at 570 nm in a microplate reader and the results are expressed as folds of control.

Cell Biol Toxicol. 2010 Dec;26(6):499-507; J Mol Neurosci. 2010 Mar;40(3):321-31; J Pharm Pharmacol. 2009 Oct;61(10):1375-82.