Objectives: Potassium channels participate in cellular and molecular signalling pathways regulating the life and death of neurons. In this study, effect of pretreatment with potassium channel blockers of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and tetraethylammonium (TEA) on the behavioural symptoms of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced Parkinsonism was evaluated.
Methods: 6-OHDA was injected into right striatum of adult male Wistar rats using stereotaxic surgery. Severity of 6-OHDA-induced Parkinsonism was assessed by conventional behavioural tests. 4-AP and TEA were injected twice per day intraperitoneally, before 6-OHDA injection to 15 days after that. Also, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration as a marker of oxidative stress was measured in rat sera.
Results: Pretreatment with 4-AP (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) and TEA (2 and 5 mg/kg) attenuated significantly behavioural symptoms of 6-OHDA-induced Parkinsonism. Application of both 4-AP and TEA together was more effective than the effect of each one of these blockers alone. 6-OHDA increased MDA concentration but pretreatment with 4-AP prevented of 6-OHDA-induced increase in MDA. On the other hand, pretreatment with TEA and combination of TEA and 4-AP could not prevent of 6-OHDA-induced oxidative stress.
Discussion: Since severity of behavioural symptoms of 6-OHDA-induced Parkinsonism is correlated to the degree of nigral dopaminergic cell death, we suggest that antiparkinsonism effect of TEA and 4-AP was mediated by their neuroprotective effect. Because, both Parkinsonism in rat and PD in human, the main pathophysiological hallmark, is neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra, we suggest doing clinical trials for evaluation of effectiveness of 4-AP and TEA in slowing down of PD progress.
Keywords: 4-AP; 6-OHDA; Behavioural symptoms; Malondialdehyde; TEA.