Objective: The present study examined the potential therapeutic effects of CA against 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced oxidative stress in a rat model of HD and explored the mechanisms of action.

Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by symptoms like chorea and dementia, results from the destruction of neurons in the basal ganglia, and oxidative stress has been implicated in its pathogenesis. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) is a diterpene with a wide range of anti-inflammatory, cognitive enhancer, neuroprotective, anti-diabetic effects thus may be advantageous in the treatment of neurological disease.

Methods: 50 Male SD rats were pretreated with CA (20 and 40 mg/kg b.w.) orally prior to the intraperitoneally (i.p.) administration of 3-NP (12 mg/kg b.w.) for 15 days. Nimodipine (12 mg/kg, po) was used as positive control drugs. The body weight, grip strength and behavior were monitored within 5th, 10th and 15th day after 3-NP treatment. Then the animals were sacrificed, neuronal damage in striatum was estimated using Nissl staining. Hsp70 expression was detected with immunohistochemistry. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was measured using dihydroethidium (DHE) staining. Memory (Morris water maze) , antioxidants enzymes and lipid peroxides were analyzed in rat model of HD.

Results: Present results shown that administration of 3-NP resulted in a marked reduction in the body weight, memory, grip strength locomotion activity and significantly increased lipid peroxidation and depleted antioxidant enzyme accompanied by progressive striatal dysfunction. CA (20 and 40 mg/kg) treated animals exhibited a significant (p < 0.01) improvement in behavioural, biochemical, histological alterations and oxidative stress parameters in comparison to only 3-NP treated animals. Present results shown dose-dependently improved 3-NP-induced behavioral, biochemical, and enzymatic changes (P < .001). Similar effects were obtained with the positive control drugs nimodipine.

Conclusions: CA exerts a protective action against 3-NP-induced oxidative stress in the rat model of HD, which is associated with its anti-oxidant activity, and consequently improves behavioral deficits.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/neuroprotective-role-of-cinnamaldehyde-against-3-nitropropionic-acid-induced-oxidative-stress-in-a-rat-model-of-huntingtons-disease/