Effects of Isradipine on Induced-Parkinson’s Disease in Rats

Background Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in developed countries. Recent studies have showed that there is a relation between neuron loss in Parkinson’s disease and L-type calcium channel activity in pars compacta of substantia nigra. Therefore, it seems that calcium channel blockers can effect on this disease. Objectives In this study, we evaluate the protective and therapeutic effects of isradipine on experimental Parkinson’s model in rats. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, 63 rats were allocated randomly in seven group including: intact, control, sham operated, lesion and lesion treated by 0.1, 0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg dosage of isradipine. L-type calcium channel blocker, isradipine was subcutaneously injected to treated rats in the doses of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg/day, for four weeks, starting the day after a unilateral nigrostriatal 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA) lesion. Rotational tests with apomorphine and rigidity tests were conducted on all animal groups one week before the lesion experiments and four weeks after. Results Administration of isradipine (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) decreased mean of rotation number and muscular rigidity score significantly compared with control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions This study showed that isradipine has a therapeutic effect in a dose dependent manner on Parkinson’s disease in rats.