Abstract
Lewy bodies are characteristic spherical inclusions in Parkinson's disease (PD) that are formed by α-synuclein fibrils. Ferruginol (Fer) is an amonomeric compound isolated from a traditional Chinese herb. Here, we show that Fer exerted potent neuroprotective effects in both in vitro and in vivo PD models. Neuronal cells transfected with A53T mutant (A53T) α-synuclein plasmids and treated with Fer exhibited attenuated the cytotoxicity induced by pathogenic A53T α-synuclein overexpression. Further, when we transfected neuronal cells with siRNA-SNCA (alpha-synuclein) plasmids and incubated them with Fer, the protective role of Fer decreased. We also found that Fer was a potent α-synuclein inhibitor in neuronal cells, which promotes the clearance of αsynuclein in dopaminergic neurons exposed to 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP +). Fer could inhibit abnormal α-synuclein aggregation and dopaminergic neuron depletion in A53T-Tg mice, suggesting that a role for Fer in α-synuclein accumulation and nigrostriatal pathway injury. Our study revealed that Fer strongly alleviated neurodegeneration by promoting α-synuclein clearance, indicating a neuroprotective role against α-synuclein oligomer-induced neurodegeneration, which makes it a promising candidate for the treatment of PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
