Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive, age-related
neurodegenerative
disease. The disease is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic
neurons in the substantia nigra, pars compacta of the midbrain. Pramipexole
(PPX) is a novel drug used for the treatment of PD. It has a high
affinity for the dopamine (DA) D2 receptor subfamily and acts as a
targeted mitochondrial antioxidant. It is less effective in the treatment
of PD due to its short half-life, highly inconvenient dosing schedule,
and long-term side effects. In recent years, PPX-loaded nanoformulations
have been actively reported to overcome these limitations. In the
current study, we focused on increasing the effectiveness of PPX by
minimizing the dosing frequency and improving the treatment strategy
for PD. Herein, we report the synthesis of biodegradable polyvinylpyrrolidone
(PVP)-capped copper oxide nanoparticles (PVP–CuO NPs), followed
by PPX anchoring on the surface of the PVP–CuO NPs (PPX–PVP–CuO
NC), in a simple and inexpensive method. The newly formulated PPX–PVP–CuO
NC complex was analyzed for its chemical and physical properties.
The PPX–PVP–CuO NC was tested to protect against rotenone
(RT)-induced toxicity in the
Drosophila
PD model. The in vivo studies using the RT-induced
Drosophila
PD model showed significant changes in
negative geotaxis behavior and the level of DA and acetylcholinesterase.
In addition, oxidative stress markers such as glutathione-
S
-transferase, total glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive
species, and protein carbonyl content showed significant amelioration.
The positive changes of PPX–PVP–CuO NC treatment in
behavior, neurotransmitter level, and antioxidant level suggest its
potential role in mitigating the PD phenotype. The formulation can
be used for treatment or pharmacological intervention against PD.