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Updated: May 20, 2026

Brain Ventricular Microinjections of Lipopolysaccharide into Larval Zebrafish to Assess Neuroinflammation and Neurotoxicity
Published on: August 23, 2022
Tenuigenin protects dopaminergic neurons from inflammation-mediated damage induced by the lipopolysaccharide
1Department of Physiology, Key laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Ministry of Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Background:
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc).
Aims:
To study if tenuigenin (TEN), the main active component of Polygala tenuifolia, can protect dopaminergic neurons from inflammation-mediated damage in vivo.
Methods:
We observed the effects of TEN on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced PD model by behavioral analysis, high-performance liquid chromatography, immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay, etc.
Results:
We showed that a single intranigral dose of LPSs (10 μg) induced microglial activation, reduced the survival ratio of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons in the SNpc and reduced dopamine (DA) content in the striatum. Treatment with 300 mg/kg TEN once per day over 14 weeks improved the survival rate of TH-ir neurons in the SNpc to 75%, on the non-injected side. Treatment with 200 or 300 mg/kg TEN once per day over 14 weeks significantly improved DA levels in the striatum to 73% and 81% on the non-injected side, respectively. The excessive production of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β, was abolished by TEN administration.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that TEN may play a role in protecting dopaminergic neurons against inflammatory challenge.
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