Caffeic Acid and Dihydrocaffeic Acid Improve Motor Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease Model Mice

Research overview

The text below is the source article’s original abstract under a verified reuse license. cc by

Abstract Parkinson's disease is a progressive and chronic neurodegenerative disease in which the nerve cells (dopaminergic neurons) of the Substantia Nigra start to die. The pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease is believed to be significantly influenced by oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Rosemary contains two bioactive phenolic acids caffeic acid (CA) and dihydrocaffeic acid (DACA) which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While studies have been conducted on the neuroprotective effects of each of these alone, the effects of CA and DACA in combination have not been studied in experimental models of PD. The neuroprotective effect of CA and DACA has been evaluated in the in vitro SH-SY5Y cells with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) and mouse model of PD induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Motor function was evaluated using open field and pole test, while the viability of treated SH-SY5Y cells was evaluated. The expression level of the nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) were determined by western blot analysis in midbrain and the striatum. CA and DACA have been found to significantly prevent motor dysfunction, keep TH expression, and avoid SH-SY5Y cell cytotoxicity. Further, both compounds upregulated expression of Nrf2 as well as HO-1, while the expression of NFκ B and interleukin (IL)-1β was down regulated. The combined treatment was shown to be more protective than either of the compounds in their own right under the experimental conditions of the present invention.

Related topics