The effects of the β-lactam antibiotic, ceftriaxone, on forepaw stepping and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease.

RATIONALE: Glutamate receptor antagonists can improve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and reduce L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA)-induced dyskinesia (LID) in both animal models and humans, but usually produce intolerable side effects. Recent evidence suggests that upregulation of the major glutamate transporter, GLT-1, by the β-lactam antibiotic, ceftriaxone, can increase the removal of synaptic glutamate without producing noticeable side effects, and may provide an effective alternative to receptor antagonists for several neurodegenerative diseases.
OBJECTIVES: We examined whether repeated i.p. injections of ceftriaxone would, like glutamate antagonists, reduce the deficits in contralateral forepaw stepping produced by unilateral injections of 6-OHDA into the medial forebrain bundle of rats and reduce LID (as measured by abnormal involuntary movements). METHODS AND
RESULTS: In Experiment 1, daily injections of 100 mg/kg ceftriaxone improved contralateral forepaw stepping by 44%, and these therapeutic effects were still apparent 29 days following the cessation of treatment. In Experiment 2, daily injections of 50 mg/kg ceftriaxone were as effective as daily injections of 10 mg/kg L-DOPA in increasing contralateral forepaw stepping by 40%. These therapeutic effects of ceftriaxone were decreased by an injection of 10 mg/kg of the selective GLT-1 antagonist, dihydrokainate (DHK), and were still evident 69 days after the cessation of ceftriaxone injections. Furthermore, ceftriaxone did not produce dyskinesia by itself and reduced the development, but not the expression, of LID.
CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that ceftriaxone, by producing a long-term increase in GLT-1 function and increasing the removal of synaptic glutamate, may offer several advantages over L-DOPA as therapy for PD.