title: Neuroprotective effect of silymarin in 6-hydroxydopamine hemi-parkinsonian rat: involvement of estrogen receptors and oxidative stress.
abstract: This study examined neuroprotective effect of silymarin (SM) in a model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Unilateral intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats were pretreated i.p. with SM (100 and 200 mg/kg) 1 h before neurotoxin injection. Fulvestrant was used to evaluate the involvement of estrogen receptors. Net apomorphine-induced rotations and number of Nissl-stained neurons of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) were counted in addition to measurement of oxidative stress markers. SM administration only at a dose of 200 mg/kg attenuated the rotational behavior in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats and protected the neurons of SNC against its toxicity and fulvestrant partially attenuated this beneficial effect of SM. In addition, pretreatment with SM at a dose of 200 mg/kg significantly decreased the 6-OHDA-induced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formation. SM exhibits a dose-dependent neuroprotective effect against 6-OHDA toxicity, partly through attenuating oxidative stress and via an estrogenic pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. tmojarad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tourandokht
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baluchnejadmojarad
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roghani
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mafakheri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D012838:Silymarin