[Protective effect of tripchlorolide on dopaminergic neurons in partially lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease].
OBJECTIVE
To study whether the immunosuppressant tripchlorolide (T4) exerts neuroprotective effect on dopaminergic neurons.


METHODS
A rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) was set up by transection of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) with a wire knife. The rotational behavior, HPLC-ECD, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry, ELISA methods were used to evaluate the influence on the dopaminergic neurons following T4 treatment.


RESULTS
T4 treatment was shown to effectively attenuate the rotational behavior challenged by amphetamine (2.5 mg.kg-1, i.p.) in the PD rats. T4 markedly prevented the decrease of dopamine content in the striatum and the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. T4 was found to suppress the abnormal increase of TNF-alpha and IL-2 level in brain tissues of PD rats after MFB transection.


CONCLUSIONS
The evidence that the immunosuppressive Chinese herb extract T4 possesses neuroprotective activities on the dopaminergic neurons in PD rats was presented. The underlying mechanism of T4 may be relevant to its immunosuppressive activity.
Cheng
Xiao-xin
XX
Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Li
Feng-qiao
FQ
Huang
Min
M
Wang
Xiao-min
XM
Han
Ji-sheng
JS
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D004224:Diterpenes; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C068051:tripchlorolide; D004298:Dopamine