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Authors & Affiliations
Milorad Dragic, Milica Zeljkovic Jovanovic, Ivana Stevanovic, Jelena Stanojevic, Nadezda Nedeljkovic
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and caudoputamen (Cp), leading to motor and non-motor symptoms. Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and imbalance in purinergic signaling significantly contribute to its progression. Current treatments fail to halt disease progression, necessitating novel approaches. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown promise in alleviating PD symptoms, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the effects of prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) on purinergic signaling and oxidative status in a 6-OHDA model of PD. In our study, 2.5 months-old Wistar rats with unilateral 6-OHDA lesions underwent three weeks of either real iTBS or sham treatment and were tested for motor skills using the rotarod test. We conducted immunoblot, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and biochemical assays, on the crude synaptosomal fraction of the lesioned and non-lesioned (internal control) CPu. Additionally, we analyzed oxidative status in the CPu, SNpc, and serum. Our results showed that prolonged iTBS improved motor symptoms in 6-OHDA-lesioned animals and mitigated oxidative stress indicators while increasing antioxidative parameters in the CPu and SNpc, even after the neurodegeneration process was complete. Serum analysis confirmed systemic antioxidant effects. These findings suggest that iTBS may modulate purinergic signaling and oxidative stress pathways, offering potential therapeutic benefits for PD.This study was supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, Republic of Serbia Grants No. 451-03-65/2024-03/200178 and 451-03-66/2024-03/200178 and the University of Defense Grant No. MFVMA/02/22-24.