The Protective Role of Honey on MPTP-induced Hippocampal Injury in Male Swiss Mice

The agent 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is standard for the induction of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in animal models. Cognitive dysfunction disturbs about thirty-forty percent of PD patients and can progress to dementia. Non-motor symptoms, such as hippocampal damage, contribute significantly to the deficiency in cognition observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). This research work evaluated how honey performs its neuronal protection on the MPTP-induced hippocampal damage. Forty adult male Swiss mice were assigned to control, MPTP, honey, and honey + MPTP groups. MPTP was administered intraperitoneally (20 mg/kg) at 2-hour intervals, four times in one day on day 22, and honey (1.5 ml/kg) was given orally for 21 days. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed significant hippocampal damage in MPTP-treated mice, including disrupted cytoarchitecture, reduced astrocytic and microglia processes, and increased ERK expression. Pretreatment with honey preserved the general hippocampal cytoarchitecture and the astrocytic and microglial processes, and modulated the activities of ERK levels, suggesting improved synaptic plasticity. These results suggest honey’s potential as a functional food to help mitigate hippocampal damage and cognitive decline in PD.

Key Words: MPTP, hippocampal-damage, honey, astrocytes, microglia, Clasmatodendrosis, long-term potentiation