紫红獐牙菜提取物是一种应用广泛的中国传统中药,其抗乙型肝炎病毒,保肝,降低血糖等作用已经被报道。在本研究中,我们发现紫红獐牙菜酮提取物可以改善1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶(MPTP)诱导的帕金森(PD)小鼠的运动功能障碍。此外,我们还发现该提取物能够提高纹状体中多巴胺(DA)和高香草酸(HVA)的含量,缓解由于MPTP导致的黑质致密区的酪氨酸羟化酶(TH)阳性神经元的缺失。这些结果表明,紫红獐牙菜酮提取物具有对抗MPTP神经毒素的神经保护作用,有望成为一个潜在的治疗帕金森病的药物。
As a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Swertia punicea Hemsl has exhibited effects on anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV), liver protection, hypoglycemic activity and cholecystitis. In this study, we confirmed that xanthone extract from Swertia punicea Hemsl (XSPH) improved the motor deficit, increased the levels of striatal dopamine (DA) and homovanilic acid (HVA), and alleviated the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons located in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in MPTP-induced mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). In conclusion, the present results indicated that XSPH offered neuroprotective effects against the neurotoxicity of MPTP and it might be a potential treatment for PD.