Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effect of total flavonoids from Mongolian medicine Cymbidium album on MPTP induced Parkinson's model mice.
Methods The model of Parkinson's disease induced by MPTP was established. The effects of TFDM on motor function of PD mice were evaluated by rod rotation test and pole climbing test; The expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px) in TFDM was detected by ELISA; The effects of TFDM on the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and apoptosis related proteins Caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.
Results The results of behavioral evaluation showed that TFDM treatment significantly increased the falling latency of mice (P<0.05), and significantly decreased the pole climbing time of mice (P<0.05); ELISA results showed that TFDM treatment significantly reduced the content of MDA (P<0.01), while the expression of SOD and GSH Px increased significantly (P<0.05); The results of immunohistochemistry and Western blot showed that the expression levels of TH, Bcl-2, Bcl-2/Bax protein in TFDM treatment group were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the expression levels of Caspase-3 and Bax were significantly decreased (P<0.05).
Conclusion TFDM can improve motor dysfunction, alleviate oxidative stress injury and reduce the loss of dopaminergic neurons in PD model mice, and may play a neuroprotective role by inhibiting Caspase-3 protein activity, up regulating Bcl-2 and down regulating Bax protein expression.