Fig. 5

Molecules modulate the cytotoxicity of α-syn aggregation in cells transfected with WT α-syn or co-transfected with SynT and synphilin-1. Transfection with WT α-syn did not induce clear aggregate formation (green, a), while transfection with SynT leads to distinct α-syn positive inclusions (arrows, B) in 50–60% of transfected cells (c). Nuclei are stained in blue (a and b). (d) Toxicity, as measured by the release of Lactate Dehydrogenase in transfected cells, showed no significant difference between the SynT-aggregation model (n = 6) or WT α-syn control (n = 5). Treatment with DHM or Sal B in SynT transfected cells reduced the number of cells with SynT-inclusions (e, **p<0.01), and ALP activation with rapamycin also showed a decrease in α-syn aggregation in transfected H4 cells (e, *p<0.05). The number of cells with SynT-aggregates was slightly increased after treatment with CQ. (f) Treatments with DHM, Sal B or rapamycin showed a significant decrease in cell toxicity (f, **p<0.01), in contrast to the SynT transfected group, or the CQ treatment group. Scale bar = 5 μm