Simvastatin Reverses Parkinson's Disease in Mouse Model

A team of neurological researchers found that by treating mice suffering from chemically induced Parkinson's disease with simvastatin they could reverse the biochemical, cellular, and anatomical changes caused by the disease.

Investigators at the Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, IL, USA) created a mouse model of Parkinson's disease by injecting the animals with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). A subpopulation was then treated with simvastatin, which inhibited the animals' 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase enzyme and thereby reduced cholesterol synthesis.

Results published in the October 28, 2009, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that simvastatin treatment protected the neurons responsible for dopamine production, normalized neurotransmitter levels, and improved motor functions in the mice with Parkinson's. At the molecular level simvastatin inhibited the activity of the p21Ras protein, which is elevated in the brains of mice with Parkinson's disease.

"Statins are one of the most widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs throughout the world," said senior author Dr. Kalipada Pahan, professor of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center. "This may be a safer approach to halt the disease progression in Parkinson's patients. Understanding how the disease works is important to developing effective drugs that protect the brain and stop the progression of Parkinson's. If we are able to replicate these results in Parkinson's patients in the clinical setting, it would be a remarkable advance in the treatment of this devastating neurodegenerative disease."

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