title: Berberine chloride pretreatment exhibits neuroprotective effect against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neuronal insult in rat.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a rather common movement disorder as a result of the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons within the substantianigra. Current treatments for PD afford symptomatic relief with no prevention of disease progression. Due to the neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic potential of the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine (BBR), this study was conducted to assess whether BBR pretreatment could attenuate behavioral and neuronal derangement in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced model of PD in the rat. Unilateral intrastriatal 6-OHDA-lesioned rats received BBR at doses of 25 and/or 50 mg/kg (i.p.) three times at an interval of 24 h, started 2 days before the surgery. After 1 week, apomorphine caused significant contralateral rotations and a significant reduction in the number of Nissl-stained and tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons on the left side of the substantianigra. BBR pretreatment at a dose of 50 mg/kg significantly reduced rotations and prevented loss of TH-positive neurons. These results indicate pre-lesion administration of BBR could protect against 6-OHDA toxicity and this may be of benefit besides other available therapies in PD.
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Department of Anatomical Sciences, and Faculty of Advanced Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Feraidoon
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Negahdar
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Department of Anatomical Sciences, and Faculty of Advanced Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehdizadeh
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Department of Anatomical Sciences, and Faculty of Advanced Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Taghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Joghataei
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roghani
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Department of Anatomical Sciences, and Faculty of Advanced Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fereshteh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mehraeen
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Department of Anatomical Sciences, and Faculty of Advanced Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poorghayoomi
keywords: 6-hydroxydopamine; Berberine; Parkinson’s disease; Tyrosine hydroxylase