Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of dopaminergic
neurons of the substatia nigra pars compacta region of the brain. PD patients initially
display loss of movement coordination (resting tremors, postural instability, bradykinesia,
and rigidity), eventually progressing to cognitive impairment, psychiatric irregularity,
and death. Most PD cases are sporadic and caused by unknown factors. Although good
progress has been made in providing a symptomatic relief such as with dopamine supplements
or deep brain stimulation, there is no known available remedy to stop the progression
of the disease. This study is based on findings that Ubisol-Q10, a water-soluble formulation
of coenzyme-Q10 shows unprecedented near-complete protection against oxidative stress-induced
cell death of cultured neurons. We have found that Ubisol-Q10 can neutralize Bax-induced
dysfunction of mitochondria, which thus far can only be achieved by an anti-apoptotic
protein Bcl2. We have also shown that Ubisol-Q10 exhibited neuroprotective effects
in paraquat (PQ) exposed rats. Similarly, ethanolic root extract of ashwagandha extract
(ASH) has shown neuroprotective efficacy in maneb-paraquat treated mice. Our objective
is to combine ASH with Ubisol-Q10 and conduct a study with a multidisciplinary approach
to examine whether post-injury intervention with ASH along with Ubisol-Q10 could slow/halt
the progression of neurodegeneration in a PQ induced PD rat model. Our current behavioural
tests have shown that PQ treated rats given Ubisol-Q10, ASH or a combination of both
in drinking water have reduced motor impairment compared to rats given unsupplemented
water. These interesting findings with details of behavioural and biochemical analysis
will be presented.
