Testing Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) as putative neuroprotective agent in a Drosophila model of Parkinson?s disease, from in vitro to in vivo studies

MARIANA FERRARIO; OSCAR GERSHANIK; NARA I. MURARO; PEDRO BALLESTERO; MARCELA SCHENK; SANDRA GUERRERO; ALEJANDRA BERNARDI; IRENE TARAVINI; JUAN FERRARIO

CABA

Congreso; Fronteras en Biociencia 3; 2018

IBioBA-CONICET-MPSP y la Max Planck Society de Alemania

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second worldwide neurodegenerative disorder in prevalence. Its origin is unknown, but its pathophysiological characteristic is the progressive degeneration of dopamine-releasing neurons (nDA) of the Substantia nigra pars compacta. Recently, a study conducted in Argentina revealed that the consumption of yerba mate (YM) has an inverse association with the risk of developing PD. With the aim of demonstrating the putative neuroprotective properties of YM on nDA, we are undertaking experimental approaches both in vitro and in vivo. First, we studied the survival of mouse nDA on primary cultures treated with YM extract, and found that YM provides higher neuroprotection over nDA than other known agents, such as caffeine. To delve into the basis of this neuroprotection, we have also tested some of the major compounds of the YM extract, such as chlorogenic acid and theobromine.Given these promising results, we hypothesized that the YM extract could also protect nDA in vivo from the degeneration caused by the expression of a-syn in a Drosophila melanogaster model of PD, and improve the related locomotor deficit. To reach this goal, we have set up the administration of YM to these flies and produced preliminary behavioral and histological data. Our results demonstrate that YM protects nDA in vitro and set the grounds to study such effect on a simply, but very powerful, in vivo model of PD.