Pleiotrophin over-expression provides trophic support to dopaminergic neurons in parkinsonian rats

Pleiotrophin is known to promote the survival and differentiation of dopaminergic neurons in vitro and is up-regulated in the substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease patients. To establish whether pleiotrophin has a trophic effect on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in vivo, we injected a rec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular neurodegeneration 2011-06, Vol.6 (1), p.40-40
Main Authors: Taravini, Irene Re, Chertoff, Mariela, Cafferata, Eduardo G, Courty, José, Murer, Mario G, Pitossi, Fernando J, Gershanik, Oscar S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Gene expression
Genetic aspects
Neurons
Parkinson's disease
Physiological aspects
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Summary:Pleiotrophin is known to promote the survival and differentiation of dopaminergic neurons in vitro and is up-regulated in the substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease patients. To establish whether pleiotrophin has a trophic effect on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in vivo, we injected a recombinant adenovirus expressing pleiotrophin in the substantia nigra of 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats. The viral vector induced pleiotrophin over-expression by astrocytes in the substantia nigra pars compacta, without modifying endogenous neuronal expression. The percentage of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells as well as the area of their projections in the lesioned striatum was higher in pleiotrophin-treated animals than in controls. These results indicate that pleiotrophin over-expression partially rescues tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cell bodies and terminals of dopaminergic neurons undergoing 6-hydroxydopamine-induced degeneration.
ISSN:1750-1326
1750-1326
DOI:10.1186/1750-1326-6-40