Pharmacological validation of a progressive reserpine-induced Parkinson's Disease animal model

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a motor disorder related to aging that currently affects 1-2% of the population over the age of 60, figuring as the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Recently, the repeated treatment with low doses of reserpine (0.1 mg/kg, every other day) was validated for progressive neurochemical and behavioral alterations reminiscent of PD. For example, among other behavioral alterations, such treatment results in the progressive increase of latency to start a moviment, oral dyskinesia and spontaneous motor activity reduction. These alterations are followed by progressive neurochemical alterations consistent with the PD physiopathology, such as decreased tyrosine hydroxylase expression and dopamine content, and increased alfa-synuclein expression and oxidative stress in CNS. Nonetheless, it is required the validation of the repeated low-dose reserpine treatment regimen for the gold standard PD symptomatic treatment, the L-DOPA dopaminergic reposition. Accordingly, this study aims to assess the acute and cronic L-DOPA effects on the retrieval of motor parameters on repeated treatment with low-dose of reserpine as a progressive model of PD. (AU)