Magnesium sulfate protects retinal dopaminergic neurons in rats with 6-OHDA-induced Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. The main pathological features of PD are the degeneration and death of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra-striatal pathway and the accumulation of Lewy bodies in neurons. In addition to the well-known hallmark symptoms such as resting tremor and muscle rigidity, Parkinson's patients also experience non-motor symptoms such as visual disturbances, hyposmia, and sleep disturbances. At the same time, visual disturbances appear earlier than motor symptoms. The visual dysfunction in early-stage of Parkinson's disease indicates the occurrence and development of the disease. The visual dysfunction in Parkinson's disease is due to the damage of retinal dopamine neurons. This study found that magnesium sulfate supplementation can effectively delay the death of retinal dopamine neurons in 6-OHDA induced rat model of PD and improve the motor symptoms of rats with anxiety-like behavior. Therefore, magnesium sulfate may provide a new option for the early diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease.