Pioglitazone activates paraoxonase-2 in the brain: A novel neuroprotective mechanism.

Paraoxonase-2 regulates reactive oxygen species production in mitochondria. Stimulating its expression has therapeutic potential for diseases where oxidative stress plays a significant role in the pathology. Evidence suggests that the anti-diabetic drug pioglitazone may provide neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, brain trauma and ischemia, but the biochemical pathway(s) responsible has not been fully elucidated. Here we report that pioglitazone (10 mg/kg/day) for 5 days significantly increased paraoxonase-2 expression in mouse striatum. Thus, this result highlights paraoxonase-2 as a target for neuroprotective strategies and identifies pioglitazone as a tool to study the role of paraoxonase-2 in brain.