Initial cyclosporin A but not glucocorticoid treatment promotes recovery of striatal dopamine concentration in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned mice.

We examined the effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) and glucocorticoid (GC; hydrocortisone sodium succinate) in a mouse model of experimental parkisonism. GC or CsA was administered 30 or 60 min, respectively, prior to intracerebroventricular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine, followed by injection of a similar dose of each drug 3 h later. CsA reduced the extent of depletion of striatal concentrations of dopamine (DA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) associated with dopaminergic neuronal degeneration. GC reduced the extent of homovanillic acid (HVA) depletion in the same region. A combination treatment with CsA and GC did not produce a further enhancement of the recovery of striatal concentrations of monoamines observed with CsA only. Our findings demonstrated the beneficial effects of initial CsA treatment in experimental models of parkinsonism and further support the usefulness of CsA in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.