Neuropeptides, small peptides found in many mammalian brain, play key roles in communicating with each other to modulate neuronal activity. Here, we reported that endogenous neuropeptide salusin-β has neuroprotective effects on the midbrain dopamine neurons and can be used as an effective therapeutic treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). We found that the MrgprA1 receptor mediates the neuroprotective effects of salusin-β on the midbrain dopamine neurons. Importantly, intranasal administration of salusin-β in a PD mouse model show the neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons and increased the survival of midbrain dopamine neurons. Furthermore, inhibition of the salusin-β receptor, MrgprA1, abolished the neuroprotective effects induced by salusin-β. Taken together, these results demonstrate the novel role of salusin-β in the central nervous system and salusin-β can be used as a novel therapeutic to effectively treat PD.
Keywords: Neuropeptide; Neuroprotective effect; Parkinson's disease; Salusin-β.
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