title: Rapamycin protects the mitochondria against oxidative stress and apoptosis in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease, in which oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are responsible for neuronal apoptosis. Rapamycin plays a crucial role in reducing oxidative stress and protecting the mitochondria. However, its protective role in PD has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we report that pre-treatment with rapamycin provides behavioral improvements, protects against the loss of dopaminergic neurons, and alleviates mitochondrial ultrastructural injuries in a rat model of PD. Peroxide levels were lower and antioxidant activities were higher in PD rats pre-treated with rapamycin compared to the PD rats pre-treated with the vehicle. Furthermore, pre-treatment with rapamycin significantly elevated the expression of anti-apoptotic markers and reduced the levels of pro-apoptotic markers compared to pre-treatment with the vehicle. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that rapamycin reduced oxidative stress and alleviated mitochondrial injuries in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced rat model of PD, which may subsequently contribute to its anti-apoptotic effects. The ability of rapamycin to exhibit neuroprotection in a rat model of PD may be related to its antioxidant capabilities.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Suzhou 215007, PR China.
authors: Jianhua
authors: J
authors: Jiang
authors: Juean
authors: J
authors: Jiang
authors: Yuanyi
authors: Y
authors: Zuo
authors: Zhenlun
authors: Z
authors: Gu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494828:Bax protein, rat; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D020123:Sirolimus