In our cellular system, rhynchophylline was well characterized as an effective neuroprotectant for PD, a conclusion supported by the fact that rhynchophylline greatly prevented against MPP+-triggered neurotoxicity by reversing the increase in Hoechst-stained apoptotic neurons as well as the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in primary CGNs. This evidence concerns the gene BAX and Parkinson disease.