High fat diet and low dose-rotenone exposure exacerbate Parkinson's disease like pathology through gut-brain axis disruption

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects millions worldwide. In recent years, the role of the gut-brain axis and gut microbiome alterations in neurodegenerative diseases has gained significant attention. Lifestyle and environment factors play a crucial role in shaping the overall health. Herein, we investigated whether obesity induced by high-fat diet (HFD) combined with low-dose rotenone (5 mg/kg; orally, twice a day) exacerbates PD-like pathology. Our findings reveal non-motor symptoms of PD alongside gut inflammation, α-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation, and dysbiosis, possibly mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel. In the brain, we observed the characteristic α-syn pathology in the substantia nigra (SN) and the striatum. Finally, we observe neuroinflammation including astrogliosis, microgliosis and increased expression of TRPV1 channel in the SN and striatum possibly hinting to PD like pathological features. The in-vitro findings in N2a and C6 glial cell lines hint towards possible co-relation of increased TRPV1 in response to lipotoxicity and rotenone exposure which was recovered when treated with TRPV1 antagonist; Capsazepine. In summary, we propose that HFD along with low dose rotenone poses a risk for neuronal health; exaggerating the neuroinflammatory states.