The neuroprotective effect of lovastatin on MPP+-induced neurotoxicity is not mediated by PON2

•Lovastatin conferred neuroprotection against MPP+.•This statin is antioxidant in rat brain.•Lovastatin produced no change in paraoxonase-2 activity in striatum.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of the pigmented dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta with subsequent striatal dopamine (DA) deficiency and increased lipid peroxidation. The etiology of the disease is still unclear and it is thought that PD may be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In the search of new pharmacological options, statins have been recognized for their potential application to treat PD, due to their antioxidant effect. The aim of this work is to contribute in the characterization of the neuroprotective effect of lovastatin in a model of PD induced by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). Male Wistar rats (200–250 g) were randomly allocated into 4 groups and administered for 7 days with different pharmacological treatments. Lovastatin administration (5 mg/kg) diminished 40% of the apomorphine-induced circling behavior, prevented the striatal DA depletion and lipid peroxides formation by MPP+ intrastriatal injection, as compared to the group of animals treated only with MPP+. Lovastatin produced no change in paraoxonase-2 (PON2) activity. It is evident that lovastatin conferred neuroprotection against MPP+-induced protection but this effect was not associated with the induction of PON2 in the rat striatum.