Protocatechuic acid inhibits neurotoxicity induced by MPTP in vivo.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra (SN) with the presence of alpha-synuclein inclusions termed Lewy bodies. The neuroprotective effects of protocatechuic acid (PAc) both in vitro and in vivo have been reported. However, little is known about the effects of PAc on neurotoxicity induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in vivo. In this study, we demonstrated that PAc inhibited the reduction of the latent periods in a rotarod test, and the contents of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites in striatum, and furthermore, it ameliorated the pathology in SN and the decreases in the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in SN of C57BL/6J mice induced by MPTP. Taken together, our results indicate for the first time that PAc has neuroprotective effects on MPTP treated C57BL/6J mice and may be useful in clinical treatment of PD.
State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, PR China.
Hong-Ning
HN
Zhang
Chun-Na
CN
An
Hui-Nan
HN
Zhang
Xiao-Ping
XP
Pu
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020267:MPTP Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; C009091:protocatechuic acid; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid