title: Neuroprotective effects of echinacoside in the mouse MPTP model of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of echinacoside, a phenylethanoid glycoside extracted from the medicinal Chinese herb Cistanches salsa, against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced dopaminergic toxicity. We confirmed that exposure to MPTP in mice leads to permanent behavioral deficits and depletion of dopamine and its metabolites. When administered prior to MPTP, echinacoside reduced behavioral deficits, increased striatal dopamine and dopamine metabolite levels, reduced cell death, and led to a marked increase in tyrosine hydroxylase expression relative to mice treated with MPTP alone. In addition, pre-treatment with echinacoside significantly reduced caspase-3 and caspase-8 activation in 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+))-induced apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons. Taken together, these findings suggest that echinacoside improves the behavioral and neurochemical outcomes in MPTP mice model of Parkinson's disease and inhibits caspase-3 and caspase-8 activation in cerebellar granule neurons, making the compound an attractive candidate treatment for various neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083 Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Xingchao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Xuefei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D031671:Cistanche / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006027:Glycosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020267:MPTP Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006027:Glycosides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; C060297:echinacoside; D004298:Dopamine