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PARKINSON DISEASE
EFFECT OF COMPOUNDS ON DAMAGE INDUCED BY MPP+
on MESENCEPHALIC NEURONS
INTRODUCTION
Parkinson disease (PD) involves a selective degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DA) neurons. This pathology can be modeled in experimental animals by the administration of MPTP (1-metyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine), a toxin which selectively destroys DA neurons and causes anatomical, behavioral, and biochemical changes similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. In vivo MPTP is converted to MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium) and this is the active neurotoxic agent that selectively destroys DA neurons. In dopaminergic neuron cultures MPP+ has similar effects and it is therefore possible to model the PD pathology in vitro.
COMPOUND TESTING
A primary culture of mesencephalic neurons, which contains DA neurons, are exposed to MPP+ under controlled condition (medium without serum, concentration and duration of intoxication, ...). The number of survival DA neurons is evaluated by a manual counting of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons.

To evaluate the neuroprotective properties of a new compound, two types of study can be conducted in this model:

Protective:
The test compound is added to the medium before the induction of MPP+ damage
Reversal:
The test compound is added to the medium after MPP+ intoxication to evaluate its potential to reverse injury

Picture of primary culture of mesencephalic neurons
Pictures show primary culture of mesencephalic neurons.
In upper panel it is phase contrast photograph and in the bottom fluorescent microscopy: nucleus are stained in blue and dopaminergic neurons in red.
Effect of several reference compounds on MPP+ - induced death using the protective protocol
Effects of reference compounds to counteract MPP+ injury:
GDNF and BDNF as a combination of neurotrophic compounds, Riluzol to impair glutamatergic transmission, cAMP to activate cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase, zVAD (Z-Val-Ala-Asp-FMZ) as a cell permeable inhibitor for caspase 1 and 3.
Effect of GDNF and BDNF in combination on DA neurons injured by MPP+
Protective and reversal effect of BDNF and GDNF on damage induced by MPP+ on DA neurons.
REFERENCES
Gilles G., Hung S.T. Reichmann H. and Rausch W.D. Oxidative stress to dopaminergic neurons as models of Parkinson's disease.
Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. (2004) 1018: 533-540.
Eberhardt O. and Schulz J. B. Apoptotic mechanisms and antiapoptotic therapy in the MPTP model of Parkinson's disease.
Tox. Letters (2003) 139:135-151.
Dauer W. and Pezedborski S. Parkinson's disease: mechanism and models.
Neuron (2003) 39:889-909.
Kaul S., Kanthasamy A., Kitazawa M., Anantharam V. and Kanthasamy A.G. Caspase-3 dependent proteolytic activation of protein kinase C delta mediates and regulates 1-methy-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced apoptotic cell death in dopaminergic cells: relevance to oxidative stress in dopaminergic degeneration.
Eur. J. Neurosci. (2003) 18:1387-1401.
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