Neuroprotective effect of paeoniflorin in the mouse model of Parkinson’s disease through α-synuclein/protein kinase C δ subtype signaling pathway

Objectives Paeoniflorin, an active component of Radix Paeoniae Alba, has a neuroprotective effect in Parkinson’s animal models. However, its mechanism of action remains to be determined. Methods In this study, we hypothesized that the neuroprotective effect of paeoniflorin occurs through the α-synuclein/protein kinase C δ subtype (PKC-δ) signaling pathway. We tested our hypothesis in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. We evaluated the effects of paeoniflorin on the expression levels of signal components of the α-synuclein/PKC-δ pathway, cellular apoptosis and motor performance. Results Our results demonstrated that paeoniflorin restored the motor performance impairment caused by MPTP, inhibited apoptosis, and protected the ultrastructure of neurons. Paeoniflorin treatment also resulted in the dose-dependent upregulation of an antiapoptotic protein, B-cell lymphoma-2, at the mRNA and protein levels, similar to the effects of the positive control, selegiline. In contrast, paeoniflorin treatment downregulated the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins BCL2-Associated X2, α-synuclein, and PKC-δ at the mRNA and protein levels, as well as the level of the activated form of nuclear factor kappa B (p-NF-κB p65). Conclusions Thus, our results showed that paeoniflorin exerts its neuroprotective effect by regulating the α-synuclein/PKC-δ signaling pathway to reduce neuronal apoptosis.