Objective
The occurrence of Parkinson's disease (PD) may be caused by mitophagy, and we tried to find out the clues that Tenuifolin (TEN) alters mitophagy.
Methods
The effects of TEN on mitophagy and PINK1/Parkin pathway were detected by ELISA, RT-qPCR, western blot and electron microscopy in rotenone-induced PD rats and PC12 cells.
Results
ROT can establish a rat model of PD, with PD-related behavioral and brain pathological changes. TEN administration can improve the appearance and behavior of PD model rats, reduce the expression of Parkin, PINK1, Beclin-1, LC3II/I and other related autophagy proteins in the brain tissue of PD model rats and PC12 cells, alleviate the damage of cell mitochondria, and protect the brain nerve.
Conclusion
PINK1/Parkin pathway may be one of the mechanisms of TEN to treat PD via alleviating the damage of cell mitochondria and protecting the brain nerve, and it provides a new way to treat Parkinson's disease.