Protective effect of caffeine against neurodegeneration in a model of Parkinson's disease in rat: behavioral and histochemical evidence.

Epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated an inverse association between coffee consumption and Parkinson's disease (PD). This study was designed to investigate the beneficial effect of caffeine at a dose comparable to that of human exposure in a model of PD. For this purpose, unilateral intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats were pretreated with caffeine (20 mg/kg; i.