Name: SARAH MARTINS PRESTI DA SILVA
Type: MSc dissertation
Publication date: 23/03/2018
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| CRISTINA MARTINS E SILVA | Co-advisor * |
| RITA GOMES WANDERLEY PIRES | Advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| CRISTINA MARTINS E SILVA | Co advisor * |
| RITA GOMES WANDERLEY PIRES | Advisor * |
| SUELY GOMES DE FIGUEIREDO | Internal Examiner * |
| VANESSA BEIJAMINI HARRES | External Examiner * |
Summary: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Currently, the main therapeutic approach relieves only motor symptoms, however, it does not prevent or stop the neurodegeneration. Rosmarinic Acid (RA) is an ester of caffeic and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acids obtained from many plant species such as Salvia officinalis L. (sage) and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary). This compound has a wide collection of biological activities, antioxidant and free radical scavenging being key factors in the in vivo outcomes reported for RA, howerer, the literature is scarce in studies showing the effects of RA on healthy animals and MPTP treated animals. Herein, in the present study the mice were randomly separated into 4 distinct groups: Control/ saline group (CN), Rosmarinic acid/ vehicle (RA); MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyltetrahydropyridine)/ saline; MPTP and AR (MPTP+AR). RA (or vehicle) was administered orally intragastrically for 14 days, one hour prior to MPTP or saline. The MPTP and MPTP+AR group received intraperitoneal administration of MPTP at the dose of 30 mg/kg once daily for 5 days (at 4-8 day of experiment). In motor parameters, a hyperlocomotion behavior was observed in animals treated with MPTP only, such effect was significantly prevented by treatment with RA. In the biochemical context, we showed that RA treatment increased dopaminergic and serotonergic content in healthy animals, but there was no normalization of the neurotransmitter dysfunctions observed in the parkinsonian mice. Analysis of the mRNA alterations in dopaminergic system components in the striatum showed that catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COM-T) expression was increased in MPTP+AR group. Overall,this report brings new evidence of the potencial neuroprotective properties of RA in preventing the motor alterations induced by MPTP and demonstrates a potencial for preventing the onset of PD by improving dopaminergic and serotonergic content in striatum of healthy animals.
Keywords: Parkinson's disease, MPTP, rosmarinic acid, neuroprotection
