Introduction: Loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) results in Parkinson's disease (PD). Rotenone is used as an animal model of PD. BM-MSCs are a promising therapy.
Aim of the Work: The work aimed to evaluate the effects of rotenone on the SN and the role of BM-MSCs in ameliorating these effects.
Material and Methods: A total number of 24 rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group A was subdivided into; group A1 (6 rats) received a subcutaneous injection of 5 ml dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) /kg every 2 days for two weeks and group A2 (6 rats) received the same regimen for five weeks. Group B (rotenone-treated group) (6 rats) received a subcutaneous injection of a dose of 1.5 mg rotenone /kg dissolved in 5 ml DMSO/kg, once every 2 days for two weeks. Group C (BM-MSCs-treated group) (6 rats) was injected with rotenone with the same regimen as group B, followed by an intraperitoneal injection of one million heterogenous BM-MSCs diluted with 1 ml of saline and sacrificed 3 weeks later. At the destined time, the rats were sacrificed, and the brains were processed for light and electron microscopic examination and immunohistochemistry.
Results: Group B showed a statistically significant decrease in body weight and an increase in brain weight in comparison to the control group A1, signs of neuronal degeneration, Lewy bodies, destructed neuronal ultrastructure, strong positive GFAP, caspase-3, and ubiquitin immunoreactivity with protein aggregation. Group C showed noticeable morphometric, histological, and immunohistochemical improvement.
Conclusion: The rotenone negatively affects the substantia nigra, and the BM-MSCs could ameliorate these effects.