Focused Ultrasound Promotes the Delivery of Gastrodin and Enhances the Protective Effect on Dopaminergic Neurons in a Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease

• Published in: Frontiers in cellular neuroscience Vol. 16; p. 884788
• Main Authors: Wang, Yuhong, Luo, Kaixuan, Li, Junrui, Liao, Yehui, Liao, Chengde, Chen, Wen-Shiang, Chen, Moxian, Ao, Lijuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 17-05-2022; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Apoptosis; Bcl-2 protein; Blood-brain barrier; Brain; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Caspase-3; Cellular Neuroscience; Central nervous system; Central nervous system diseases; Chromatography; Dopamine receptors; Dopamine transporter; Drug delivery; Drug dosages; Dyskinesia; focused ultrasound; gastrodin; Hydroxylase; Laboratory animals; Liquid chromatography; Lymphocytes B; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Medical research; Molecular weight; Movement disorders; MPTP; Neostriatum; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurons; Neuroprotection; Parkinson's disease; Postsynaptic density; Pressure distribution; Scientific imaging; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonic transducers; Ultrasound; Western blotting; United States > US; China; gastrodin; blood–brain barrier; drug delivery; Parkinson’s disease; focused ultrasound
• ISSN: 1662-5102; 1662-5102
• DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.884788

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common chronic neurodegenerative disease globally; however, it lacks effective treatment at present. Focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with microbubbles could increase the efficacy of drug delivery to specific brain regions and is becoming a promising technology for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. In this study, we explored the therapeutic potential of FUS-mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening of the left striatum to deliver gastrodin (GAS) in a subacute PD mouse model induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The concentration of GAS in the left hemisphere was detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography electrospray Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap) and the distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neurons was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of TH, Dopamine transporter (DAT), cleaved-caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), and synaptophysin (SYN) protein were detected by western blotting. Analysis showed that the concentration of GAS in the left hemisphere of PD mice increased by approximately 1.8-fold after the BBB was opened. FUS-mediated GAS delivery provided optimal neuroprotective effects and was superior to the GAS or FUS control group. In addition, FUS enhanced GAS delivery significantly increased the expression of Bcl-2, BDNF, PSD-95, and SYN protein in the left striatum (
< 0.05) and reduced the levels of cleaved-caspase-3 remarkably (
= 0.001). In conclusion, the enhanced delivery by FUS effectively strengthened the protective effect of GAS on dopaminergic neurons which may be related to the reinforcement of the anti-apoptotic activity and the expression of synaptic-related proteins in the striatum. Data suggests that FUS-enhanced GAS delivery may represent a new strategy for PD treatment.