Silymarin- and melatonin-mediated changes in the expression of selected genes in pesticides-induced Parkinsonism

Mol Cell Biochem. 2013 Dec;384(1-2):47-58. doi: 10.1007/s11010-013-1780-x. Epub 2013 Aug 22.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most unconcealed neurodegenerative disorder labelled with motor impairments. Two pesticides, manganese ethylene-1,2-bisdithiocarbamate (maneb) and 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride (paraquat), together, are reported to increase the incidence of PD in humans and Parkinsonism in mice. Conversely, silymarin and melatonin, two naturally occurring antioxidants, rescue from maneb- and paraquat-induced Parkinsonism. The study examined silymarin- and melatonin-mediated changes in the expression of selected genes in maneb- and paraquat-induced Parkinsonism employing mouse discover chips microarrays. The mice were treated intraperitoneally (i.p.), daily, with silymarin (40 mg/kg) or melatonin (30 mg/kg) for 9 weeks along with vehicles. Subsets of animals were also treated with maneb (30 mg/kg; i.p.) and paraquat (10 mg/kg; i.p.), twice a week, for 9 weeks. Whilst the expression of genes in the striatum was determined by microarray, the expression of randomly selected transcripts was validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Combined maneb- and paraquat-treatment altered the expression of several genes associated with apoptosis, inflammation, cell cycle, cell-signalling, etc. pathways. Silymarin and melatonin significantly resisted the changes in the expression of a few genes related to apoptosis, inflammation, cell cycle, cell-signalling, etc. The expression patterns of seven randomly selected genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR, which were found to follow the similar trends, as observed with microarray. The results obtained from the study thus demonstrate that despite resemblances, silymarin and melatonin differentially offset maneb- and paraquat-induced changes in transcriptome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / therapeutic use
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Cell Cycle / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Ion Channels / genetics
  • Male
  • Maneb / adverse effects
  • Melatonin / therapeutic use*
  • Mice
  • Mitochondria / enzymology
  • Mitochondria / genetics
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Paraquat / adverse effects
  • Parkinsonian Disorders / chemically induced
  • Parkinsonian Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Parkinsonian Disorders / genetics*
  • Pesticides / adverse effects*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Silymarin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Ion Channels
  • Pesticides
  • Silymarin
  • Maneb
  • Melatonin
  • Paraquat