Objective: Learn the role of environmental toxins – rotenone in development of Parkinson’s disease

Background: Rotenone is a powerful pesticide. It is also a lipophilic compound that easily penetrates the blood-brain barrier. Chronic exposure to low doses of rotenone leads to uniform inhibition throughout the rat’s brain. Despite the diffuse effect, rotenone causes selective degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway, selective oxidative damage to the striatum, and the formation of ubiquitin and α-synuclein-positive inclusions in nigral cells that are similar to Lewy bodies in Parkinson’s disease.Rotenone is a powerful pesticide. It is also a lipophilic compound that easily penetrates the blood-brain barrier. Chronic exposure to low doses of rotenone leads to uniform inhibition throughout the rat’s brain. Despite the diffuse effect, rotenone causes selective degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway, selective oxidative damage to the striatum, and the formation of ubiquitin α-synuclein-positive inclusions in nigral cells that are similar to Lewy bodies in Parkinson’s disease.

Method: To obtain a rotenone-induced model of Parkinson’s disease, the pesticide was administered to rats daily for 4 weeks. The work was performed on male Wistar rats weighing 250-300g. Rotenone was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 2.5 mg / kg.

Results: When modeling was observed increased mortality of animals. At the same time, animals showed all the above-described manifestations of Parkinson syndrome. A significant decrease in motor activity occurred within 1 week after the start of the administration of rotenone.

Conclusion: The advantages of the rotenone-induced model include the formation of neuronal inclusions and the oxidative stress observed. The main disadvantage of this model is its variability, i.e. lack of behavioral disorders in some animals. In addition, prolonged chronic administration of rotenone leads to a large percentage of experimental rat mortality.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-role-of-environmental-toxins-rotenone-in-parkinsons-disease/