Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) are significantly reduced in Parkinson's disease (PD) and the LC exhibits neuropathological changes early in the disease process. It has been suggested that a loss of LC neurons can enhance the susceptibility of dopaminergic neurons to damage. To determine if LC noradrenergic innervation protects dopaminergic neurons from damage, the dopaminergi...

The structural effect of neurturin (NRTN) on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in animals remains unknown, although NRTN has been shown to be effective in Parkinson's disease animal models. Herein, we aimed to demonstrate that NRTN overexpression in dopaminergic neurons stimulates both neurite outgrowths in the nigrostriatal pathway and striatal dendritic spines in aging rats with chronic 6...

Dopamine (DA) agonists are widely used as primary treatments for Parkinson's disease. However, they do not prevent progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, the central pathology of the disease. In this study, we found that subcutaneous injection of a cytokine mixture containing granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-3 (IL-3) markedly suppressed dopaminergic ne...

• Loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) is responsible for motor symptoms Parkinson's disease. R-type calcium channels have been linked to selective vulnerability nigral an animal model Immunohistochemistry was used examine CAV2.3 expression human brains. In disease patients higher than those neighbouring ventral tegmental area and control might be therapeuti...

This publication proposes a computer-based platform to explore novel targets for symptomatic treatment, based on the known neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the basal ganglia (Roberts et al., 2016). However, this theoretical proposal should also take into consideration other aspects, such as the possible molecule(s) involved in the loss of dopaminergic neurons containing neuromelanin, because...

To direct human embryonic stem (HES) cells to a dopaminergic neuronal fate, we cocultured HES cells that were exposed to both sonic hedgehog and fibroblast growth factor 8 with telomerase-immortalized human fetal midbrain astrocytes. These astrocytes substantially potentiated dopaminergic neurogenesis by both WA09 and WA01 HES cells, biasing them to the A9 nigrostriatal phenotype. When transpla...

We determined whether the preferential toxicity of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) on dopamine-producing cells, which we have previously observed in vitro, might also occur in vivo and generate characteristics associated with Parkinson's disease. Intrastriatal BH4 injection caused a loss of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity and decreased dopamine content. The dopaminergic cell bodies topologicall...

At the acute stage following unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL), rats, mice or guinea pigs exhibit a complex motor syndrome combining circling (HSCC lesion) and rolling (utricular lesion). At the chronic stage, they only display circling, because proprioceptive information related to the plane of support substitutes the missing utricular information to control posture in the frontal plane. Circlin...

Background and Objective: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a rather common neurological disorder in elders that is due to degeneration of dopaminergic neurons within mesencephalic substantia nigra pars compacta. With regard to protective and antioxidant effect of simvastatin, this study was conducted to evaluate its neuroprotective effect in an experimental model of PD. Materials and Methods: In thi...

Nogo-A is a transmembrane protein originally discovered in myelin, produced by postnatal CNS oligodendrocytes. Nogo-A induces growth cone collapse and inhibition of axonal growth in the injured adult CNS. In the intact CNS, Nogo-A functions as a negative regulator of growth and plasticity. Nogo-A is also expressed by certain neurons. Neuronal Nogo-A depresses long-term potentiation in the hippo...