Desferrioxamine and dextromethorphan combination exhibited synergistic effect and reversed the catalepsy behaviour in 6-hydroxydopamine hydroydopamine administered rats through regulating brain glutamate levels.

The reversal of catalepsy behaviour represents the protective effect of above combination on dopamine neurons in striatum from 6-OHDA toxicity. The mechanism of DFO and DXM combination might be attributed through attenuation of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in neurons through ameliorating the reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines release. Treatment with DFO and DXM combination could control the multiple events in the pathogenesis of PD.