Haloperidol-induced parkinsonism is attenuated by varenicline in mice

Amit K. Sharma; Sparsh Gupta; Ranjan K. Patel; Neeta Wardhan

doi:10.1515/jbcpp-2017-0107

Article

Haloperidol-induced parkinsonism is attenuated by varenicline in mice

Amit K. Sharma , Sparsh Gupta , Ranjan K. Patel and Neeta Wardhan

Published/Copyright: April 10, 2018

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From the journal Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology Volume 29 Issue 4

Abstract

Background

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). However, there is no known drug to stop/slow down this neurodegeneration. Varenicline is an anti-smoking drug and has the potential to prevent neurodegeneration. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the effect of varenicline in animal models of PD.

Methods

Levodopa and haloperidol were administered in doses of 30 and 1 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.), respectively. Group 1 was administered haloperidol; groups 2, 3 and 4 were administered haloperidol along with varenicline in doses of 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg, i.p., respectively and group 5 was administered levodopa along with haloperidol. Varenicline was administered daily, 30 min prior to the administration of haloperidol. Varenicline was administered for the first 8 days, and then from the 9th day until the 15th day. Behavioral assessment (rotarod and catalepsy tests) was performed on days 9 and 15. Assessment of striatal dopamine levels and histopathology were also performed.

Results

In the haloperidol-treated groups, significant decrease in latency to fall off (on rotarod) and increase in catalepsy duration (in catalepsy test) were observed as compared to the control group. In the levodopa-treated group, significant increase in latency to fall off the rotarod and significant decrease in catalepsy duration were observed as compared to the haloperidol-treated groups. Further, on day 9, varenicline (2.5 mg/kg) significantly increased the latency to fall off the rotarod, while varenicline (0.5 and 1.5 mg/kg) did not cause any significant change in latency to fall off the rotarod as compared to the haloperidol-treated group. On day 15, significant increase in latency to fall off the rotarod was observed in varenicline (at all doses) as compared to the haloperidol-treated group. In the catalepsy test, the varenicline-treated (at all doses) groups showed significant decrease in duration of catalepsy on day 9 and day 15 as compared to the haloperidol-treated group. Significant decrease in striatal dopamine levels was observed among the haloperidol-treated groups as compared to the control group. Further, varenicline-treated (at all doses) and levodopa-treated groups showed significant increase in striatal dopamine levels when compared with the haloperidol-treated group. In histology, varenicline (0.5 mg/kg) showed moderate decrease in neurons, while varenicline (1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg) showed mild decrease in neurons. However, the levodopa-treated group did not show any significant decrease in neurons. Thus, varenicline has shown promising results and has provided novel strategy for the treatment of PD.

Keywords: catalepsy test; haloperidol; Parkinson’s disease; rotarod test; varenicline

Corresponding author: Dr. Sparsh, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi 110029, India, Phone: +91-9818057272

Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.

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Received: 2017-07-19

Accepted: 2018-01-22

Published Online: 2018-04-10

Published in Print: 2018-07-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcpp-2017-0107

Keywords for this article

catalepsy test; haloperidol; Parkinson’s disease; rotarod test; varenicline