Protective effect of chlorogenic acid in an experimental model of Parkinson’s disease induced by 6-hydroxydopamine in rats

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Considering the antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of chlorogenic acid, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of this substance in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease. In this experimental study, Wisar male rats (n = 32) were divided into 4 groups: sham, chlorogenic acid-treated sham, lesion and chlorogenic-acid-treated lesion. The experimental model of Parkinson's disease was made by injecting 12.5 microgram of 6-hydroxydopamine dissolved in a saline-ascorbate solution into the left side of neostriatum. The chlorogenic acid-treated sham and the chlorogenic-acid-treated lesion groups received 10 mg/kg of the drug intraperitoneally daily during a week before stereotaxic surgery and the last injection was given one hour before stereotaxic surgery. In the second week after surgery, the rotational behavior induced by apomorphine injection within one hour and the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra compacta was examined and counted. For statistical analysis, one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-host tests were used in Sigmaplot 12. Chlorogenic acid-pretreated lesion group showed significantly lower rotations versus lesion group (p<0.01). In addition, chlorogenic acid-treated lesion group had a higher number of dopaminergic neurons relative to lesion group (p<0.05). Pretreatment with chlorogenic acid reduces motor asymmetry in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease and has also protective effect on nigral dopaminergic neurons.