Abstract
Recent experimental and clinical reports support the fact that the minocycline exhibits significant neuroprotective activity in neurodegenerative diseases. However, its mechanism of neuroprotection is still far from our understanding. Besides, minocycline does not always produce neuroprotective effect. Therefore, this study has been designed to explore the possible mechanism of minocycline in experimental model of HD in rats. Intrastriatal administration of quinolinic acid caused a significant reduction in body weight, motor dysfunction (impaired locomotor activity, rotarod performance, and beam walk test), oxidative damage (as evidenced by increase in lipid peroxidation, nitrite concentration, and depletion of super oxide dismutase and catalase), increased TNF-α and IL-6 levels as compared to the sham-treated animals. Minocycline (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) treatment (for 21 days) significantly improved body weight, locomotor activity, rotarod performance, balance beam walk performance, oxidative defense, attenuated TNF-α and IL-6 levels as compared to quinolinic-acid (QA)-treated animals. This study provides evidence that minocycline might have neuroprotective effect against QA-induced Huntington-like behavioral, biochemical alterations, and neuroinflammation in rats.
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Acknowledgment
The Research Fellowship in Science for Meritorious Student (Harikesh Kalonia) of the University Grant Commission (U.G.C.), New Delhi, is gratefully acknowledged.
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The authors do not have any conflict of interest to disclose. Further authors do not have any financial interest to disclose.
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Kalonia, H., Mishra, J. & Kumar, A. Targeting Neuro-Inflammatory Cytokines and Oxidative Stress by Minocycline Attenuates Quinolinic-Acid-Induced Huntington’s Disease-Like Symptoms in Rats. Neurotox Res 22, 310–320 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-012-9315-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-012-9315-x