Inhibition of the canonical Wnt pathway by Dickkopf-1 contributes to the neurodegeneration in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats

► Dkk1 was induced and Wnt signaling pathway was impaired in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. ► Dkk1 contributed to the degeneration in PD via inhibition of Wnt signaling pathway. ► LiCl reversed the damage of the dopaminergic neurons in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1), an antagonist of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, has been implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases. However, it's unknown whether Dkk1 is involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. In this study, we discovered that Dkk1 was increased in 6-hydroxydopamin(6-OHDA)-lesioned rats. In the meanwhile, inhibition of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, including the activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and decrease of β-catenin, was also found in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Treatment with rhDkk1 aggravated the dopaminergic neuron damage of the substantia nigra and the inhibition of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats, while the above effects in these rats were abolished by pretreatment with LiCl, an inhibitor of GSK-3β, for consecutive 7d. These data suggest that Dkk1 plays an important role in the etiology of PD models and it contributes to the neurodegeneration in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats via inhibition of the canonical Wnt pathway.