Effect of Coffee against MPTP-Induced Motor Deficits and Neurodegeneration in Mice Via Regulating Gut Microbiota

The mechanisms of coffee against Parkinson disease (PD) remained incompletely elucidated. Numerous studies suggested that gut microbiota played a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PD. Here, we explored the further mechanisms of coffee against PD via regulating gut microbiota. C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to induce a PD mouse model, then treated with coffee for 4 consecutive weeks. Behavioral tests consisting of the pole test and beam-walking test were conducted to evaluate the motor function of mice. The levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-synuclein (α-syn) were assessed for dopaminergic neuronal loss. The levels of occludin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cytochrome c (Cyt c) were detected. Moreover, microbial components were measured by 16s rRNA sequencing. Our results showed that coffee significantly improved the motor deficits and TH neuron loss, and reduced the level of α-syn in the MPTP-induced mice. Moreover, coffee increased the level of BBB tight junction protein occludin and reduced the level of astrocyte activation marker GFAP in the MPTP-induced mice. Furthermore, coffee significantly decreased the levels of proapoptotic proteins, including Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cytochrome c, while it increased the level of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, consequently preventing MPTP-induced apoptotic cascade. Moreover, coffee improved MPTP-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. These findings suggested that the neuroprotective effects of coffee on PD were involved in the regulation of gut microbiota, which might provide a novel option to elucidate the effects of coffee on PD.