Effects of Isradipine on Induced-Parkinson’s Disease in Rats

Abstract

Background: Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in developed countries. Recent studies have showed that there is a relation between neuron loss in Parkinson’s disease and L-type calcium channel activity in pars compacta of substantia nigra. Therefore, it seems that calcium channel blockers can effect on this disease. Objectives: In this study, we evaluate the protective and therapeutic effects of isradipine on experimental Parkinson’s model in rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 63 rats were allocated randomly in seven group including: intact, control, sham operated, lesion and lesion treated by 0.1, 0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg dosage of isradipine. L-type calcium channel blocker, isradipine was subcutaneously injected to treated rats in the doses of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg/day, for four weeks, starting the day after a unilateral nigrostriatal 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA) lesion. Rotational tests with apomorphine and rigidity tests were conducted on all animal groups one week before the lesion experiments and four weeks after. Results: Administration of isradipine (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) decreased mean of rotation number and muscular rigidity score significantly compared with control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study showed that isradipine has a therapeutic effect in a dose dependent manner on Parkinson’s disease in rats.