The efficacy of the ketogenic diet on motor functions in Parkinson’s disease: A rat model

Background: The ketogenic diet (KD), high in fat and low in carbohydrate and protein, provides sufficient protein but insufficient carbohydrates for all the metabolic needs of the body. KD has been known as a therapeutic manner intractable epilepsy. In recent years, the effectiveness of KD drew attention to the treatment of some other disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study has evaluated the efficacy of KD on motor function in Parkinsonian model of rat and compared it with pramipexole. Methods: A total of 56 male Wistar rats weighing 200-240 g between 12 and 14 weeks of age were randomized in seven 8-rat groups as follows: Control group; sham-operated group; KD group; Parkinsonian control group; KD-Parkinsonian group; pramipexole-Parkinsonian group; and KD-pramipexole-Parkinsonian group. The results of bar test, beam traversal task test, and cylinder task test were compared between the groups. Results: The mean number of ketone bodies had increased significantly in the rats blood after KD. Regarding the results of the triad tests, no statistically significant difference was found between the controls and the sham-operated group. Among the Parkinsonian rats, better results were found in KD groups compared to the non-KD group. The KD enhanced the effect of pramipexole for motor function but did not reach a statistically significant level. Conclusion: The KD reinforced the motor function in Parkinsonian rats in our study. When the diet was combined with pramipexole, the effectiveness of the drug increased in enhancing motor function.