Impaired
iron homeostasis may cause damage to dopaminergic neurons and is critically involved in the pathogenesis of
Parkinson's disease. At present, very little is understood about the effect of neonatal
iron intake on behavior in aging animals. Therefore, we hypothesized that increased neonatal
iron intake would result in significant behavior abnormalities and striatal
dopamine depletion during aging, and
Sirtuin 2 contributes to the age-related neurotoxicity. In the present study, we observed that neonatal
iron intake (120 μg/g per day) during postnatal days 10-17 resulted in significant behavior abnormalities and striatal
dopamine depletion in aging rats. Furthermore, after AK-7 (a selective
Sirtuin 2 inhibitor) was injected into the substantia nigra at postnatal 540 days and 570 days (5 μg/side per day), striatal
dopamine depletion was significantly diminished and behavior abnormality was improved in aging rats with neonatal
iron intake. Experimental findings suggest that increased neonatal
iron intake may result in
Parkinson's disease-like neurochemical and behavioral deficits with aging, and inhibition of
Sirtuin 2 expression may be a neuroprotective measure in
Parkinson's disease.