Authors: Jiang, Jianhua; Jiang, Juean; Zuo, Yuanyi; Gu, Zhenlun
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.
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Journal: Int J Mol Med Date: Feb. 20, 2013 PMID: 23426728 |
Jiang, Jianhua, Jiang, Juean, Zuo, Yuanyi, Gu, Zhenlun (2013) Rapamycin protects the mitochondria against oxidative stress and apoptosis in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Int J Mol Med.
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