Pramipexole, a novel non-ergot dopamine (DA) agonist, has been successfully applied to the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the specific cause of PD remains unknown, recent studies have provided evidence that oxidative stress plays a role in the parthenogenesis of the disease. In the present study, we examined the effect of pramipexole on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 100 microM)-induced PC12 cell death, and the intracellular mechanism of this effect. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay revealed that pretreatment of PC12 cells with pramipexole (1-100 microM) resulted in significant protection against H2O2-induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. The protective effect of pramipexole was not affected by pretreatment with the DA receptor antagonists sulpiride, spiperone or domperidone, suggesting that the effect of pramipexole is not mediated by DA receptors. In PC12 cells, pramipexole inhibited H2O2-induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, as well as H2O2-induced cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation with the resultant apoptosis. It was also observed in PC12 cells that H2O2 stimulated phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, i.e., extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinase. Pramipexole inhibited H2O2-induced JNK and p38 MAP kinase, but not ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, in these cells experiments with a fluorescent probe, 2-[6-(4'-amino)phenoxy-3H-xanthen-3-on-9-yl]benzoic acid, revealed that pramipexole, the JNK inhibitor SP600125 and the p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580 inhibited the generation of H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species. Caspase inhibitors Z-DEVD-FMK and Z-IETD-FMK, as well as SP600125 and SB203580, inhibited H2O2-induced PC12 cell death to a similar extent as pramipexole. These results suggest that pramipexole exerts a protective effect against oxidative stress-induced PC12 cell death in part through an inhibition of JNK and p38 MAP kinase.