Caffeine neuroprotective effects on 6-OHDA-lesioned rats are mediated by several factors, including pro-inflammatory cytokines and histone deacetylase inhibitions

•The striatal DA depletion observed in the untreated 6-OHDA group.•The decreased locomotor activity and increased apomorphine-induced behavior.•The decreased immunoreactivity for TH in the striatum of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats.•The increased IL-1beta and TNF-alpha immunoreactivity in the substantia nigra and striatum of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats.•The increased HDAC immunoreactivity in the striatum and CA1 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus of 6-OHDA-lesioned groups. Several lines of evidences have shown the inversion association between coffee consumption and Parkinson's disease (PD) development. Caffeine is a methylxanthine known as a non-selective inhibitor of A2A and A1 adenosine receptors in the brain and shown to be a neuroprotective drug. The objectives were to study caffeine effects in a unilateral 6-OHDA model of PD in rats. Male rats were divided into the following groups: sham-operated (SO), striatal 6-OHDA-lesioned and 6-OHDA-lesioned and treated for 2 weeks with caffeine (10 and 20mg/kg, p.o.). Then, animals were subjected to behavioral (open field and apomorphine-induced rotations), neurochemical (striatal determinations of DA and DOPAC), histological (cresyl violet staining) and immunohistochemical (TH, TNF-α, IL-1β and HDAC) evaluations. The results showed that while the 6-OHDA group presented a decreased locomotor activity and a high number of apomorphine-induced rotations, these behaviors were partially blocked by caffeine. Caffeine itself increased DA contents and reversed the decrease in striatal DA observed in the 6-OHDA-lesioned group. Furthermore, it improved the hippocampal neuronal viability and significantly increased TH immunoreactivity in the striatum of the 6-OHDA-lesioned group. In addition, caffeine treatment also decreased the number of immunopositive cells for HDAC and pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. All these effects points out to a neuroprotective effect of caffeine and its potential benefit in the prevention and treatment of PD.