mRNA level of antioxidant genes and activity of NADPH-generating enzymes in rotenone-induced parkinsonism in rats

Abstract

Aim. To analyze the mRNA level of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes and the transcription factors Nrf2 and Foxo1 regulating their expression and the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and NADPdependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-IDH) and assess the correlation between these parameters, oxidative status, and motor coordination parameters in rats with rotenone-induced parkinsonism.Materials and methods. The study was performed on male Wistar rats aged 4–6 months and weighing 200–250 g. Parkinsonism was modeled by subcutaneous administration of rotenone for 10 days at a dose of 2.5 mg / kg. To confirm the development of the pathology, motor coordination tests and histological staining of the cerebral cortex and striatum with hematoxylin and eosin were used. The oxidative status was analyzed based on the levels of conjugated dienes, carbonyl amino acid residues in proteins, and α-tocopherol. The enzyme activity was studied spectrophotometrically by the formation of NADPH. Real-time PCR was used to analyze the level of gene mRNA.Results. During the study, an increase in serum and brain concentrations of conjugated dienes, carbonyl amino acid residues, and α-tocopherol was observed in the experimental group of rats compared to the controls. It could be associated with the redistribution of this compound between tissues during pathology development. The animals with experimental parkinsonism, in addition, were characterized by a decrease in the mRNA level of the Sod1, Gpx1, Gsr, Gsta2, Nfe2l2, and Foxo1 genes, as well as the activity of G6PDH and NADP-IDH. In the rats with experimental parkinsonism, a negative correlation of NADPH-IDH activity in the brain with serum α-tocopherol level and a positive correlation with Gpx1 and Foxo1 mRNA levels in the striatum were found. The level of oxidatively modified proteins in the brain of the animals with PD was negatively correlated with the concentration of Gsta2 mRNA in the striatum, while the specific activity of G6PDH in the serum was characterized by the positive relationship with grip strength.Conclusion. The data obtained indicate that the inhibition of transcription of the genes encoding antioxidant enzymes and regulatory factors Nrf2 and Foxo1 contributed significantly to the development of oxidative stress in PD. A decrease in the activity of G6PDH and NADP-IDH led to a decrease in the availability of NADPH, which is a limiting factor in the functioning of the glutathione antioxidant system. Obviously, the inhibition of G6PDH and NADP-IDH was also an important pathogenic factor in the progression of the pathology. Along with a decrease in the content of antioxidant gene mRNA in the brain tissues, the level of α-tocopherol increased in the rats with parkinsonism, which could be the result of an imbalance in the functioning of antioxidant system.