1. Review of the literature ..........................................................................................1 1.1. Brain dopaminergic system ..................................................................................... 1 1.1.1. Development of the midbrain dopaminergic system ............................ 2 1.2. Parkinson’s disease...................................................

Derived from Rhodiola rosea L., which is a popular plant in Eastern Europe and Asia, salidroside has pharmacological properties including antiviral, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, and antioxidative effects. Recent studies show that salidroside has neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. However, the effect of salidroside on Schwann cells (SCs) and the underlying mechanisms of the...

BACKGROUND There is large variation in treatment responses in children with cerebral palsy. Experimental and clinical results suggest that dopamine neurotransmission and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signalling are involved in motor learning and plasticity, which are key factors in modern habilitation success. We examined whether naturally occurring variations in dopamine and BDNF ge...

objective(s): exposing to stress may be associated with increased production of reactive oxygen species (ros). therefore, high level of oxidative stress may eventually give rise to accumulation of oxidative damage and development of numerous neurodegenerative diseases. it has been presented that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) supports neurons against various neurodegenerative conditio...

In a previous study, a primary culture of midbrain cells was exposed to 9-methyl-carboline for 48 h, which caused an increase in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed increased transcription of genes participating in the maturation of dopaminergic neurons. These in vitro findings prompted us to investigate the restorative actions of 9-methyl-carboline i...

Zuckerkandl’s organ (ZK) is an extra adrenal para-ganglion and has the ability to express glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and transforming growth factor (TGF). It is also a source of dopamine and norepinephrine. In the present study, the neuroprotective and restorative potential of ZK was studied by transplanting it into the striatum of adult rats either before or after the i...