theanine and 3-nitropropionic-acid

L-theanine is unique amino acid which readily crosses blood brain barrier and possesses neuroprotective potential against neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington disease (HD). HD is characterized by selective loss of GABAergic medium spiny neurons. 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) induces a spectrum of HD-like neuropathology in rat striatum and widely used as experimental tool to study HD. Therefore, the present study was intended to investigate the effect of L-theanine against 3-NP-induced striatal toxicity and to explore its possible mechanism. Rats were administered with 3-NP for 21 days. L-theanine was given once a day, 1 h prior to 3-NP treatment for 21 days and L-NAME (10 mg/kg, i.p.), NO inhibitor and L-arginine (50 mg/kg; i.p.), NO precursor were administered 1 h prior to L-theanine treatment. Body weight and behavioral observation were made on weekly basis. On the 22nd day, animals were sacrificed, and the striatum was isolated for biochemical (LPO, GSH, and nitrite), pro-inflammatory cytokines and neurochemical analysis. 3-NP treatment significantly altered body weight, locomotor activity, motor coordination, mitochondrial complex-II activity, oxidative defense, pro-inflammatory mediators, and striatal neurotransmitters level. L-theanine pre-treatment (25 and 50 mg/kg/day, p.o.) significantly prevented these alterations. In addition, concurrent treatment of L-NAME with L-theanine (25 mg/kg/day, p.o.) significantly enhanced protective effect of L-theanine (25 mg/kg/day, p.o.) whereas concurrent treatment of L-arginine with L-theanine (50 mg/kg/day, p.o.) significantly ameliorated the protective effect of L-theanine (50 mg/kg/day, p.o.). The neuroprotective potential of L-theanine involves inhibition of detrimental nitric oxide production and prevention of neurotransmitters alteration in the striatum.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Corpus Striatum; Glutamates; Huntington Disease; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Motor Activity; Neostriatum; Neuroprotective Agents; Nitric Oxide; Nitro Compounds; Oxidative Stress; Propionates; Rats, Wistar; Tea

The present study has been designed to investigate the protective effect of L-theanine against 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced Huntington's disease (HD)-like symptoms in rats. The present experimental protocol design includes systemic 3-NP acid (10 mg/kg intraperitonially) treatment for 14 d. L-theanine (100 and 200 mg/kg) was given orally, once a day, 1 h before 3-NP acid treatment for 14 d. Body weight and behavioral parameters (Morris water maze, open field test (OFT), forced swim test (FST) and rotarod activity) were assessed on 1st, 5th, 10th and 15th day post-3-NP acid administration. Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels and mitochondrial enzyme complex. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) were measured on the 15th day in the striatum. Systemic 3-NP acid treatment significantly reduced body weight, locomotor activity and oxidative defense. The mitochondrial enzyme activity was also significantly impaired in the striatum region in 3-NP acid-treated animals. L-theanine (100 and 200 mg/kg b.wt.) treatment significantly attenuated the impairment in behavioral, biochemical and mitochondrial enzyme activities as compared to the 3-NP acid-treated group. The results of the present study suggest that pretreatment with L-theanine significantly attenuated 3-NP induced oxidative stress and restored the decreased SOD, GSH, CAT and SDH activity. It also decreased the neuronal damage as evidenced by histopathological analysis of striatum. Based on the above study, it has been proved that L-theanine has neuroprotective activity against 3-NP induced neurotoxicity.

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Brain; Catalase; Convulsants; Corpus Striatum; Exploratory Behavior; Glutamates; Glutathione; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Maze Learning; Mitochondria; Motor Activity; Neuroprotective Agents; Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Nitro Compounds; Propionates; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Superoxide Dismutase