Evaluation of the therapeutic potential of cerebrolysin and/or lithium in the male Wistar rat model of Parkinson’s disease induced by reserpine

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide and represents a challenge for clinicians. The present study aims to investigate the effects of cerebrolysin and/or lithium on the behavioral, neurochemical and histopathological alterations induced by reserpine as a model of PD. The rats were divided into control and reserpine-induced PD model groups. The model animals were further divided into four subgroups: rat PD model, rat PD model treated with cerebrolysin, rat PD model treated with lithium and rat PD model treated with a combination of cerebrolysin and lithium. Treatment with cerebrolysin and/or lithium ameliorated most of the alterations in oxidative stress parameters, acetylcholinesterase and monoamines in the striatum and midbrain of reserpine-induced PD model. It also ameliorated the changes in nuclear factor-kappa and improved the histopathological picture induced by reserpine. It could be suggested that cerebrolysin and/or lithium showed promising therapeutic potential against the variations induced in the reserpine model of PD. However, the ameliorating effects of lithium on the neurochemical, histopathological and behavioral alterations induced by reserpine were more prominent than those of cerebrolysin alone or combined with lithium. It can be concluded that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of both drugs played a significant role in their therapeutic potency.

Сerebrolysin® influences in Sod- and sws-dependent neurodegenerative models of Drosophila melano­gaster

“…In all studied flies we were able to show that these mutant flies became resistant to prooxidant action after Сerebrolysin feeding. This effect of Сerebrolysin can be explained either by the drug's ability to strengthen the antioxidant defense, as described by several authors (Tharwat et. al., 2023), or by an increased resistance to stress factors as a consequence of the general neuroprotective effect.…”

“…These modulators include, in particular, kinases and proapoptotic caspases. The fact that Leu-and Metencephalines, neuropeptides fragments, and neuronal growth factors are present in Сerebrolysin confirms the neurotrophic potential of these drugs (Tharwat et. al., 2023).…”

“…Food Intake quantitative assay. The amount of consumed food was calculated from the optical absorption of the consumed dye described before (Skorupa et al, 2008) with a little modification. Homogenate: 10 larvae were crushed in a homogenizer with the addition of 0.5 mL of 0.1 M Tris-HCl homogenate buffer.…”