alpha-asarone and Parkinson-Disease

Asarone is one of the most researched phytochemicals and is mainly present in the Acorus species and Guatteria gaumeri Greenman. In preclinical studies, both α- and β-asarone have been reported to have numerous pharmacological activities and at the same time, many studies have also revealed the toxicity of α- and β-asarone.. The purpose of this comprehensive review is to compile and analyze the information related to the pharmacokinetic, pharmacological, and toxicological studies reported on α- and β-asarone using preclinical in vitro and in vivo models. Besides, the molecular targets and mechanism(s) involved in the biological activities of α- and β-asarone were discussed.. Databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google scholar were searched and the literature from the year 1960 to January 2017 was retrieved using keywords such as α-asarone, β-asarone, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, pharmacological activities (e.g. depression, anxiety).. Based on the data obtained from the literature search, the pharmacokinetic studies of α- and β-asarone revealed that their oral bioavailability in rodents is poor with a short plasma half-life. Moreover, the metabolism of α- and β-asarone occurs mainly through cytochrome-P450 pathways. Besides, both α- and/or β-asarone possess a wide range of pharmacological activities such as antidepressant, antianxiety, anti-Alzheimer's, anti-Parkinson's, antiepileptic, anticancer, antihyperlipidemic, antithrombotic, anticholestatic and radioprotective activities through its interaction with multiple molecular targets. Importantly, the toxicological studies revealed that both α- and β-asarone can cause hepatomas and might possess mutagenicity, genotoxicity, and teratogenicity.. Taken together, further preclinical studies are required to confirm the pharmacological properties of α-asarone against depression, anxiety, Parkinson's disease, psychosis, drug dependence, pain, inflammation, cholestasis and thrombosis. Besides, the anticancer effect of β-asarone should be further studied in different types of cancers using in vivo models. Moreover, further dose-dependent in vivo studies are required to confirm the toxicity of α- and β-asarone. Overall, this extensive review provides a detailed information on the preclinical pharmacological and toxicological activities of α-and β-asarone and this could be very useful for researchers who wish to conduct further preclinical studies using α- and β-asarone.

Topics: Acorus; Allylbenzene Derivatives; Animals; Anisoles; Antidepressive Agents; Depression; Humans; Mice; Parkinson Disease; Rats

Numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) have been identified in neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD). Emerging evidence demonstrates that β-asarone functions as neuroprotective effects in both in vitro and in vivo models. However, the role of β-asarone and its potential mechanism in PD remain not completely clear.. MPTP-induced PD mouse model and SH-SY5Y cells subjected to MPP+ as its in vitro model were used to evaluate the effects of β-asarone on PD. LncRNA MALAT1 and α-synuclein expression were determined by real-time PCR and western blot methods.. β-Asarone significantly increased the TH+ cells number and decreased the expression levels of MALAT1 and α-synuclein in midbrain tissue of PD mice. RNA pull-down and immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that MALAT1 associated with α-synuclein, leading to the increased stability of α-synuclein and its expression in SH-SY5Y cells. β-asarone elevated the viability of cells exposed to MPP+. Either overexpressed MALAT1 or α-synuclein could canceled the protective effect of β-asarone on cell viability. In PD mice, pcDNA-MALAT1 also decreased the TH+ cells number and increased the α-synuclein expression in PD mice with treatment of β-asarone.. β-Asarone functions as a neuroprotective effect in both in vivo and in vitro models of PD via regulating MALAT1 and α-synuclein expression.

Topics: 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; Allylbenzene Derivatives; alpha-Synuclein; Animals; Anisoles; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Parkinson Disease; RNA, Long Noncoding; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

In this study, we investigated Beclin-1, light chain (LC)3B, and p62 expression in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced parkinsonian rats after β-asarone and levodopa (l-dopa) co-administration. Unilateral 6-OHDA injection into the medial forebrain bundle was used to create the models, except in sham-operated rats. Rats were divided into eight groups: sham-operated group; 6-OHDA model group; madopar group (75 mg/kg, per os (p.o.)); l-dopa group (60 mg/kg, p.o.); β-asarone group (15 mg/kg, p.o.); β-asarone + l-dopa co-administered group (15 mg/kg + 60 mg/kg, p.o.); 3-methyladenine group (500 nmol, intraperitoneal injection); and rapamycin group (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection). Then, Beclin-1, LC3B, and p62 expression in the mesencephalon were detected. The mesencephalon was also observed by transmission electron microscope. The results showed that Beclin-1 and LC3B expression decreased and that p62 expression increased significantly in the madopar, l-dopa, β-asarone, and co-administered groups when compared with the 6-OHDA model. Beclin-1 and LC3B expression in the β-asarone and co-administered groups were less than in the madopar or l-dopa groups, whereas p62 expression in the β-asarone and co-administered groups was higher than in the madopar or l-dopa groups. In addition, a significant decrease in autophagosome was exhibited in the β-asarone and co-administered groups when compared with the 6-OHDA group. Our findings indicate that Beclin-1 and LC3B expression decreased, whereas p62 expression increased after co-administration treatment. In sum, all data suggest that the co-administration of β-asarone and l-dopa may contribute to the treatment of 6-OHDA-induced damage in rats by inhibiting autophagy activity.

Topics: Allylbenzene Derivatives; Animals; Anisoles; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; Autophagy; Beclin-1; Dopaminergic Neurons; Down-Regulation; Drug Interactions; Female; Levodopa; Male; Mesencephalon; Microtubule-Associated Proteins; Oxidopamine; Parkinson Disease; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Transcription Factor TFIIH; Transcription Factors; Up-Regulation