RESUMEN
<p><b>AIM</b>To study whether the immunosuppressant tripchlorolide (T4) exerts neuroprotective effect on dopaminergic neurons.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) was set up by transection of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) with a wire knife. The rotational behavior, HPLC-ECD, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry, ELISA methods were used to evaluate the influence on the dopaminergic neurons following T4 treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>T4 treatment was shown to effectively attenuate the rotational behavior challenged by amphetamine (2.5 mg.kg-1, i.p.) in the PD rats. T4 markedly prevented the decrease of dopamine content in the striatum and the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. T4 was found to suppress the abnormal increase of TNF-alpha and IL-2 level in brain tissues of PD rats after MFB transection.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The evidence that the immunosuppressive Chinese herb extract T4 possesses neuroprotective activities on the dopaminergic neurons in PD rats was presented. The underlying mechanism of T4 may be relevant to its immunosuppressive activity.</p>