Menthol protects dopaminergic neurons against inflammation-mediated damage in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-Evoked model of Parkinson’s disease

In neurodegenerative diseases, neuronal damage caused by neuroinflammation is very important. Many studies have suggested that the activation of microglia is critical for the neuroinflammatory process. Therefore, inhibiting neuroinflammation is considered to be a hopeful target for curing neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we aimed to explore whether menthol can protect the dopaminergic neurons by exerting anti-inflammatory effects in vivo or in vitro. The results showed that menthol had an inhibitory effect on impaired dopaminergic neurons and LPS-induced microglial activation. Further, menthol can inhibit the expression of related pro-inflammatory enzymes and pro-inflammatory factors. Both in vitro and in vivo mechanistic studies showed that menthol inhibited the neuroinflammatory response through the MAPK, NF-κB and AKT signaling pathways.