Velvet Antler Methanol Extracts Ameliorate Parkinson's Disease by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation: From to Mice.

Velvet antler is the traditional tonic food or medicine used in East Asia for treating aging-related diseases. Herein, we try to dissect the pharmacology of methanol extracts (MEs) of velvet antler on Parkinson's disease (PD). studies showed that MEs decreased the aggregation of -synuclein and protected oxidative stress-induced DAergic neuron degeneration. cellular data indicated that MEs suppressed the LPS-induced MAPKs and NF-B activation, therefore inhibiting overproduction of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-, and interleukin-6; blocking microglia activation; and protecting DAergic neurons from the microglia-mediated neurotoxicity. MPTP-induced PD mouse investigations found that MEs prevented MPTP-induced neuron loss in the substantia nigra and improved the behavioral rotating rod performance in MPTP-treated mice by increasing the expression level of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and downregulating -synuclein protein expression. In all, these results demonstrate that MEs ameliorate PD by inhibiting oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.