Pharmacological study on the potential neuroprotective effect of diosmin in rotenone-induced model of Parkinson’s disease in rats”

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. It is clinically manifested as resting tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement and postural instability. The hallmark features of PD are loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and the presence of Lewy bodies (LBs). LBs are cytoplasmic inclusions mainly formed of misfolded α-synuclein protein. The main causes for developing PD are not well known but likely result from genetic and environmental factors. There are several mechanisms underlying PD pathogenesis such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis and protein misfolding and aggregation. Many neurotoxin-based animal models of PD are presently available. Among these, rotenone-induced PD model has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Rotenone is a pesticide extracted from Leguminosae plants, specifically inhibits mitochondrial complex I and destroys dopaminergic neurons producing PD-like behavioral disorder. In addition, the same model showed the formation of intra- cytoplasmic inclusions of misfolded α-synuclein protein, mimicking PD pathology.