Abstract: Objective To investigate whether octacosanol would attenuate neurotoxicity in 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated C57BL/6N mice and its potential mechanism. Methods Behavioral tests, Nissl histochemistry and Western blot were used to investigate the effects of octacosanol in this mouse model of PD. Results Oral administration of octacosanol (100 mg/kg) significantly improved behavioral outcome in mice induced by MPTP and markedly ameliorated morphological appearances of neuronal cells in striatum. Furthermore, octacosanol blocked MPTP-induced phosphorylation of p38MAPK and JNK, but not ERK1/2. Conclusion The protective effects afforded by octacosanol might be mediated by blocking the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and JNK on the signal transduction in vivo.

Key words: Parkinson's disease, neuroprotecion, behavior, mitogen-activated protein kinases, octacosanol