Ameliorative effects of self-formulated Danxing Zhichan decoction on dyskinesia and neuronal damage in mice with Parkinson's disease and the mechanism
Objective To observe the ameliorative effects of the self-formulated Danxing Zhichan decoction on the dyskinesia and neuronal damage in mice with Parkinson's disease and to explore the mechanism.Methods Forty-eight male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group,model group,positive control group,and low-,medi-um-and high-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction groups,with eight mice in each group.The PD models were prepared by ga-vage with rotenone solution in all groups except the control group,and mice in the control group were given saline by ga-vage once a day for 28 d.After successful modeling,mice in the low-,medium-and high-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction groups were given Danxing Zhichan decoction 11.1,22.2 and 44.4 g/(kg·d)by gavage,and mice in the positive control group were given Medoba Suspension 112.5 mg/(kg·d)by gavage,and mice in the control group and model group were given 0.4 mL normal saline by gavage once a day for 28 d.The motor ability of mice was observed using the grid test and the rotating rod test,and the α synaptic nuclear proteins(α-Syn)in the nigral region of the midbrain was detected by im-munohistochemistry,and the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)p65,and α-Syn protein were de-tected by Western blotting.Results Mouse movement latency was as follows:control group<positive control group,me-dium-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group<high-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group<low-dose Danxing Zhichan de-coction group and model group,and the rotating rod holding time was as follows:control group>positive control group,medium-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group>high-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group>low-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group and model group(all P<0.05).The proportion of a-Syn positive cells in the substantia nigra region of mouse midbrain was as follows:control group<positive control group,medium-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group<high-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group<low-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group and model group(all P<0.05),and the TLR4,NF-κB p65 and a-Syn protein expression were as follows:control group<positive control group,medium-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group<high-dose Danxing Zhichan decoction group<low-dose Danxing Zhichan decoc-tion group and model group(all P<0.05).Conclusion Self-formulated Danxing Zhichan decoction can alleviate the dys-kinesia and neuronal damage in PD mice,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of TLR4/NF-κB pathway and thus inhibiting the central neuroinflammation.