title: Puerarin attenuates neuronal degeneration and blocks oxidative stress to elicit a neuroprotective effect on substantia nigra injury in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats.
abstract: In the present study, we aimed to investigate the protective effect of puerarin (PR) on the substantia nigra (SN) of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats. Our results show that glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were increased, while the malonaldehyde (MDA) content was reduced in the SN following PR treatment. Furthermore, examination of specific immunostaining revealed that histopathological lesions in SN tissue were alleviated. Similarly, the mRNA level of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was notably decreased, and the expression of NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1) mRNA was increased. As revealed by Western blot analysis, PR therapy contributed to a marked expression of DJ-1 and superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2) at the protein levels in the SN of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Taken together, these findings suggest that puerarin effectively exerts its neuroprotective action against 6-OHDA-induced Parkinsonian rats through the enhancement of antioxidant capability and attenuation of oxidative stress injury, thereby inhibiting neurodegeneration in SN tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi 541004, PR China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ni
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Qiaoling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Lingyuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D000071617:Protein Deglycase DJ-1; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D007529:Isoflavones; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D016627:Oxidopamine; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone); C507703:NQO1 protein, rat; C404267:PARK7 protein, rat; D000071617:Protein Deglycase DJ-1; D001058:Apomorphine; C033607:puerarin