The role of the β2 Adrenergic Receptor (β2AR) in the regulation of chronic neurodegenerative inflammation within the CNS is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine neuroprotective effects of long-acting β2AR agonists such as salmeterol in rodent models of Parkinson's disease. Results showed salmeterol exerted potent neuroprotection against both LPS and MPTP/MPP+-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity both in primary neuron-glia cultures (at sub-nanomolar concentrations) and in

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... mice (1–10 μg/kg/day doses). Further studies demonstrated that salmeterol-mediated neuroprotection is not a direct effect on neurons; instead, it is mediated through the inhibition of LPS-induced microglial activation. Salmeterol significantly inhibited LPS-induced production of microglial pro-inflammatory neurotoxic mediators, such as TNFα, superoxide and nitric oxide, as well as the inhibition of TAK1-mediated phosphorylation of MAPK and p65 NF-κB. The anti-inflammatory effects of salmeterol required β2AR expression in microglia, but were not mediated through the conventional GPCR/cAMP pathway. Rather, salmeterol failed to induce microglial cAMP production, could not be reversed by either PKA inhibitors or an EPAC agonist, and was dependent on beta-arrestin2 expression. Together, our results demonstrate that administration of extremely low doses of salmeterol exhibit potent neuroprotective effects by inhibiting microglial cell activation through a β2AR/β-arrestin2-dependent but cAMP/PKA independent pathway.