• Jin Sup Shim, Hyo Geun Kim, Mi Sun Ju, Jin Gyu Choi, Seo Young Jeong, and Myung Sook Oh.
• Department of Oriental Pharmaceutical Science and Kyung Hee East-West Pharmarceutical Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
• J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Nov 12; 126 (2): 361-5.

Ethnopharmacological RelevanceWhile the hook of Uncaria rhynchophylla (URH) is a traditional herb used in northeast Asia for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD)-like symptoms such as tremor, it has not been experimentally evaluated in a PD model.Aim Of The StudyWe investigated the effects of URH on 6-hydroxydapamine (6-OHDA)-induced neurotoxicity in in vitro and in vivo models of PD.Materials And MethodsThe cell viability, anti-oxidative activity, and anti-apoptotic activity of a water extract of URH (URE) were assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide, reactive oxygen species (ROS), total glutathione (GSH), and caspase-3 assays in PC12 cells stressed by 6-OHDA. We also investigated the behavioral recovery and dopaminergic neuron protection of URE using an apomorphine-induced rotation test and tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry in the hemi-parkinsonian rat model of the unilateral 6-OHDA lesion of the medial forebrain bundle.ResultsIn PC12 cells, URE significantly reduced cell death and the generation of ROS, increased GSH levels, and inhibited caspase-3 activity induced by 6-OHDA. In 6-OHDA-lesioned rats, posttreatment with URE (5 mg/kg/day for 14 days) significantly reduced apomorphine-induced rotation, and it lowered dopaminergic neuronal loss in substantia nigra pars compacta.ConclusionsURE possesses neuroprotective activity against 6-OHDA-induced toxicity through anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic activities in PD models.

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