Expression of acetylcholine receptors in the brain of mice at the presymptomatic stage of Parkinson’s disease

• Published in: Doklady. Biochemistry and biophysics 2013-03, Vol.449 (1), p.69-71
• Main Authors: Kryukova, E. V., Shelukhina, I. V., Kozina, E. A., Ugryumov, M. V., Tsetlin, V. I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biochemistry; Biological and Medical Physics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biophysics; Biophysics and Molecular Biology; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; Disease Progression; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Life Sciences; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neurons; Neurons - metabolism; Parkinson Disease - metabolism; Parkinson Disease - pathology; Parkinson's disease; Receptors, Nicotinic - metabolism
• ISSN: 1607-6729; 1608-3091
• DOI: 10.1134/S1607672913020038

The nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DA ergic) system plays a key role in the regulation of motor behavior of animals and humans [1]. In turn, DA ergic neurons of this system are highly responsive to the effect of nico tine, which stimulates the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (the rate limiting enzyme of DA synthe sis) and promotes DA release [2, 3]. This effect is mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which belong to the superfamily of Cys loop ligand gated ion channels [4]. Disturbances in the functioning of the nigrostriatal DA ergic system and its cholinergic regulation lead to disorders in the motor function. An illustrative example of such a pathology is Parkinsons disease. The key element of its pathogenesis is degeneration of nigrostriatal DA ergic neurons accompanied by alterations in the expression and functional activity of different nAChR subtypes [5]. A noteworthy fact is that the incidence of Parkinsons disease among tobacco smokers is mark edly lower than among nonsmokers.