Neuroprotective and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Evernic Acid in an MPTP-Induced Parkinson’s Disease Model

• Main Authors: Seulah Lee, Yeon Ji Suh, Seonguk Yang, Dong Geun Hong, Akihito Ishigami, Hangun Kim, Jae-Seoun Hur, Seung-Cheol Chang, Jaewon Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: Parkinson’s disease; evernic acid; 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; neuroprotection; neuroinflammation; anti-inflammation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/4/2098
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

<b> </b>Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation are strongly associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), which suggests that anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory compounds might provide an alternative treatment for PD. Here, we evaluated the neuroprotective effects of evernic aid (EA), which was screened from a lichen library provided by the Korean Lichen Research Institute at Sunchon National University. EA is a secondary metabolite generated by lichens, including <i>Ramalina</i><i>, Evernia, </i>and<i> </i><i>Hypogymnia</i>, and several studies have described its anticancer, antifungal, and antimicrobial effects. However, the neuroprotective effects of EA have not been studied. We found that EA protected primary cultured neurons against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridium (MPP⁺₎-induced cell death, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, and effectively reduced MPP⁺-induced astroglial activation by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. In vivo, EA ameliorated MPTP-induced motor dysfunction, dopaminergic neuronal loss, and neuroinflammation in the nigrostriatal pathway in C57BL/6 mice. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that EA has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in PD models and suggest that EA is a potential therapeutic candidate for PD.