Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of anti-Parkinson treatments
gradually diminishes owing to the progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic terminals. The research described
here investigated the effect of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSC) versus that of an anti-Parkinson drug
in a rat model of Parkinsonism. Forty adult rats were divided into four equal groups, each group receiving a different treatment:
vehicle, rotenone, rotenone + AD-MSC, or rotenone + carbidopa/levodopa. Behavioral tests were carried out before
and at the end of the treatment and specimens harvested from the midbrain were processed for light and electron microscopy.
Genetic expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Nestin mRNA was assessed. Expression of the Lamin-B1
and Vimentin genes was measured, along with plasma levels of Angiopoietin-2 and dopamine. Treatment with rotenone
induced pronounced motor deficits, as well as neuronal and glial alterations. The AD-MSC group showed improvements in
motor function in the live animals and in the microscopic picture presented by their tissues. The fold change of both genes
(GFAP and Nestin) decreased significantly in the AD-MSC and carbidopa/levodopa groups compared to the group with
Parkinson’s disease. Plasma levels of Angiopoietin-2 and dopamine were significantly increased after treatment (P < 0.001)
compared to levels in the rats with Parkinson’s disease. AD-MSC reduced neuronal degeneration more efficiently than did
the anti-Parkinson drug in a rat model of Parkinsonism.