Cited by 137Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and TreatmentsNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsNuclear Receptors and Signaling

Novel compound FLZ alleviates rotenone-induced PD mouse model by suppressing TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway through microbiota–gut–brain axis

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Zhao, Zhe, Li, Fangyuan, Ning, Jingwen, Peng, Ran, Shang, Junmei, Liu, Hui, Shang, Meiyu, Bao, Xiu-Qi +1 more·2021·Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, but none of the current treatments for PD can halt the progress of the disease due to the limited understanding of the pathogenesis. In PD development, the communication between the brain and the gastrointestinal system influenced by gut microbiota is known as microbiota–gut–brain axis. However, the explicit mechanisms of microbiota dysbiosis in PD development have not been well elucidated yet. FLZ, a novel squamosamide derivative, has been proved to be effective in many PD models and is undergoing the phase I clinical trial to treat PD in China. Moreover, our previous pharmacokinetic study revealed that gut microbiota could regulate the absorption of FLZ in vivo. The aims of our study were to assess the protective effects of FLZ treatment on PD and to further explore the underlying microbiota-related mechanisms of PD by using FLZ as a tool. In the current study, chronic oral administration of rotenone was utilized to induce a mouse model to mimic the pathological process of PD. Here we revealed that FLZ treatment alleviated gastrointestinal dysfunctions, motor symptoms, and dopaminergic neuron death in rotenone-challenged mice. 16S rRNA sequencing found that PD-related microbiota alterations induced by rotenone were reversed by FLZ treatment. Remarkably, FLZ administration attenuated intestinal inflammation and gut barrier destruction, which subsequently inhibited systemic inflammation. Eventually, FLZ treatment restored blood–brain barrier structure and suppressed neuroinflammation by inhibiting the activation of astrocytes and microglia in the substantia nigra (SN). Further mechanistic research demonstrated that FLZ treatment suppressed the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway both in the SN and colon. Collectively, FLZ treatment ameliorates microbiota dysbiosis to protect the PD model via inhibiting TLR4 pathway, which contributes to one of the underlying mechanisms beneath its neuroprotective effects. Our research also supports the importance of microbiota–gut–brain axis in PD pathogenesis, suggesting its potential role as a novel therapeutic target for PD treatment.

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Authors
Zhao, Z., Li, F., Ning, J., Peng, R., Shang, J., Liu, H., Shang, M., Bao, X.-Q., & Zhang, D.
Affiliations
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
Corresponding author
Zhang, Dan
Venue
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-09
Volume
11
Issue
9
Pages
2859-2879
ISSN
2211-3835 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3136654927
Cited by
137
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 33 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 2
FWCI
7.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2018RC350002)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (81630097, 81773589, 81773718)
  • Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (2016-I2M-3–011)
  • Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
  • Peking Union Medical College (2019-1007-23)
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China (SQ2018YFA090025-04)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nuclear Receptors and Signaling
Keywords
Parkinson's disease, microbiota-gut-brain axis, gut dysbiosis, TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, neuroinflammation, dopaminergic neuron death, intestinal barrier, blood-brain barrier, astrocytes, microglia, substantia nigra, gut microbiota, neuroprotection

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