Neuroinflammation is one of the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease, including the massive activation of microglia and astrocytes and the release of inflammatory factors. Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) is reported to mediate cell death and inflammatory signaling, and is markedly elevated in the brain in PD mouse models. Here, we aim to explore the role of RIPK1 in regulating the neuroinflammation of PD. C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP; 20 mg/kg four times/day), followed by necrostatin-1 treatment (Nec-1, RIPK1 inhibitor; 1.65 mg/kg once daily for seven days. Notably, the first Nec-1 was given 12 h before MPTP modeling). Behavioral tests indicated that inhibition of RIPK1 greatly relieved motor dysfunction and anxiety-like behaviors of PD mice. It also increased striatal TH expression, rescue the loss of dopaminergic neurons, and reduce activation of astrocytes in the striatum of PD mice. Furthermore, inhibition of RIPK1 expression reduced A1 astrocytes' relative gene expression (CFB, H2-T23) and inflammatory cytokine or chemokine production (CCL2, TNF-α, IL-1β) in the striatum of PD mice. Collectively, inhibition of RIPK1 expression can provide neuroprotection to PD mice, probably through inhibition of the astrocyte A1 phenotype, and thus RIPK1 might be an important target in PD treatment.
Keywords: Parkinson’s disease (PD); astrocyte; neuroinflammation; receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1).