Protective Effect and Mechanism of Aqueous Extract of Cerasus avium L. in Rats with Parkinson\'s Disease

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD.) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. There are many documents about the effects of oxidative stress on PD. progress. Angiotensin II activates NADPH depending on oxidases and these oxidases produce superoxides. Cerasus avium extract is an angiotensin converting enzyme )ACE( inhibitor in Invitro. Objective: Evaluation of neuroprotective effect of aqueous extract of Cerasus avium L. in Parkinson',s models of rats . Methods: Male rats were divided in 4 groups: sham, neurotoxin (6-hydroxydopamine ), Cerasus avium aqueous extract and captopril. Cerasus avium and captopril were injected i.p. 7 days before and 3 days after 6-hydroxydopamine injection. Muscle stiffness, apomorphine test, histology test, protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation in brain and dopamine neurons density in substantia nigra tissue as well as serum and brain ACE activity were assayed in all groups. Results: Rotation test with apomorphine in Cerasus avium group was significantly lower than neurotoxin group (p=0.002). Lipid peroxidation in captopril group was significantly lower than neurotoxin group (p=0.033) Cerasus avium inhibited serum ACE activity. Number of neurons in Cerasus avium group (99.1 ± 9.1) were significantly more than neurotoxin group (56.2±9.8). Conclusion: Aqueous extract of Cerasus avium can be useful in treatment of Parkinson’s disease because of ACE inhibitor effects.