Effects of unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions on neuropeptide immunoreactivity in the basal ganglia of the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, a quantitative immunohistochemical analysis

Generation of Mitochondrial Toxin Rodent Models of Parkinson's Disease Using 6-OHDA , MPTP , and Rotenone

Several animal models are employed to discover novel treatments for the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). PD models can be divided into two models: neurotoxin models and genetic models. Among neurotoxins to produce PD models, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), and rotenone, which inhibit the mitochondrial complex I, are widely used. Animal models of PD using these neurotoxins are also known as mitochondrial toxin models. Here this chapter describes the preparation of these mitochondrial toxin models.

In vivo, in vitro and pharmacologic models of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD), which is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease, is firstly defined after James Parkinson's report. It carries motor symptoms such as resting tremor, bradykinesia and rigidity of skeletal muscle and freezing of gait. Furthermore, non-motor symptoms such as cognitive and behavioral problems, besides sensory impairments are seen in the patients. However, they may also suffer from sleep disorders or autonomic dysfunction. Although there are some medications in order to symptomatic management, but unfortunately, scientist could not have found exact approaches to cure this disease. Hence, producing a model which can express the most pathophysiologic and behavioral aspects of the disease is a desire. In this paper, we aimed to describe the different models of Parkinson's disease in brief.

In situ hybridization study of CYP2D mRNA in the common marmoset brain

The common marmoset is a non-human primate that has increasingly employed in the biomedical research including the fields of neuroscience and behavioral studies. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D has been speculated to be involved in psycho-neurologic actions in the human brain. In the present study, to clarify the role of CYP2D in the marmoset brain, we investigated the expression patterns of CYP2D mRNA in the brain using in situ hybridization (ISH). In addition, to identify the gene location of CYP2D19, a well-studied CYP2D isoform in the common marmoset, a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) study was performed. Consistent with findings for the human brain, CYP2D mRNA was localized in the neuronal cells of different brain regions; e.g., the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and cerebellum. FISH analysis showed that the CYP2D19 gene was located on chromosome 1q, which is homologous to human chromosome 22 on which the CYP2D6 gene exists. These results suggest that CYP2D in the marmoset brain may play the same role as human CYP2D6 in terms of brain actions, and that the CYP2D19 gene is conserved in a syntenic manner. Taken together, these findings suggest that the common marmoset is a useful model for studying psychiatric disorders related to CYP2D dysfunction in the brain.

Both creatine and its product phosphocreatine reduce oxidative stress and afford neuroprotection in an in vitro Parkinson's model

Creatine is the substrate for creatine kinase in the synthesis of phosphocreatine (PCr). This energetic system is endowed of antioxidant and neuroprotective properties and plays a pivotal role in brain energy homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effect of creatine and PCr against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in rat striatal slices, used as an in vitro Parkinson's model. The possible involvement of the signaling pathway mediated by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) was also evaluated. Exposure of striatal slices to 6-OHDA caused a significant disruption of the cellular homeostasis measured as 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide reduction, lactate dehydrogenase release, and tyrosine hydroxylase levels. 6-OHDA exposure increased the levels of reactive oxygen species and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances production and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in rat striatal slices. Furthermore, 6-OHDA decreased the phosphorylation of Akt (Serine(473)) and GSK3β (Serine(9)). Coincubation with 6-OHDA and creatine or PCr reduced the effects of 6-OHDA toxicity. The protective effect afforded by creatine or PCr against 6-OHDA-induced toxicity was reversed by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. In conclusion, creatine and PCr minimize oxidative stress in striatum to afford neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons.

Systemic administration of 6-OHDA to rhesus monkeys upregulates HLA-DR expression in brain microvasculature

Background

We recently developed a nonhuman primate model of cardiac dysautonomia by systemic dosing of the catecholaminergic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). The aim of this study was to assess whether systemic 6-OHDA affects the central nervous system of nonhuman primates, in particular the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system.

Methods

Brain sections from adult rhesus monkeys that received systemic 6-OHDA (50 mg/kg intravenously; n=5) and were necropsied 3 months later, as well as normal controls (n=5) were used in this study. Tissue was cut frozen at 40 μm on a sliding microtome, processed for immunohistochemistry, and blindly evaluated.

Results

Neither the optical density of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity (TH-ir; a dopaminergic neuronal marker) in the caudate and putamen nucleus nor the TH-ir cell number and volume in the substantia nigra showed significant differences between groups. Yet within groups, statistical analysis revealed significant individual differences in the 6-OHDA-treated group, with two animals showing a lower cell count and volume. Optical density quantification of α-synuclein-ir in the substantia nigra did not show differences between groups. As α-synuclein intracellular distribution was noted to vary between animals, it was further evaluated with a semiquantitative scale. A greater intensity and presence of α-synuclein-positive nigral cell bodies was associated with larger TH-positive nigral cell volumes. Increased human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR; a microglial marker) expression was observed in 6-OHDA-treated animals compared with controls. HLA-DR-ir was primarily localized in endothelial cells and perivascular spaces throughout cortical and subcortical structures. Semiquantitative evaluation using a rating scale revealed higher HLA-DR-ir in blood vessels of 6-OHDA-treated animals than controls, specifically in animals with the lowest number of dopaminergic nigral neurons.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that systemic 6-OHDA administration to rhesus monkeys can affect the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system and upregulate inflammatory markers in the cerebrovasculature that persist 3 months post neurotoxin challenge. The variability of the subject response suggests differences in individual sensitivity to 6-OHDA.

Classic and new animal models of Parkinson's disease

Neurological disorders can be modeled in animals so as to recreate specific pathogenic events and behavioral outcomes. Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease of an aging population, and although there have been several significant findings about the PD disease process, much of this process still remains a mystery. Breakthroughs in the last two decades using animal models have offered insights into the understanding of the PD disease process, its etiology, pathology, and molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, while cellular models have helped to identify specific events, animal models, both toxic and genetic, have replicated almost all of the hallmarks of PD and are useful for testing new neuroprotective or neurorestorative strategies. Moreover, significant advances in the modeling of additional PD features have come to light in both classic and newer models. In this review, we try to provide an updated summary of the main characteristics of these models as well as the strengths and weaknesses of what we believe to be the most popular PD animal models. These models include those produced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), 1-methyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropiridine (MPTP), rotenone, and paraquat, as well as several genetic models like those related to alpha-synuclein, PINK1, Parkin and LRRK2 alterations.

Toxin-induced models of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that appears essentially as a sporadic condition. It results mainly from the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. PD etiology remains mysterious, whereas its pathogenesis begins to be understood as a multifactorial cascade of deleterious factors. Most insights into PD pathogenesis come from investigations performed in experimental models of PD, especially those produced by neurotoxins. Although a host of natural and synthetic molecules do exert deleterious effects on dopaminergic neurons, only a handful are used in living laboratory animals to recapitulate some of the hallmarks of PD. In this review, we discuss what we believe are the four most popular parkinsonian neurotoxins, namely 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), rotenone, and paraquat. The main goal is to provide an updated summary of the main characteristics of each of these four neurotoxins. However, we also try to provide the reader with an idea about the various strengths and the weaknesses of these neurotoxic models.

Establishment of graded spinal cord injury model in a nonhuman primate: the common marmoset

Most previous studies on spinal cord injury (SCI) have used rodent models. Direct extrapolation of the results obtained in rodents to clinical cases is difficult, however, because of neurofunctional and anatomic differences between rodents and primates. In the present study, the development of histopathologic changes and functional deficits were assessed quantitatively after mild, moderate, and severe spinal cord contusive injuries in common marmosets. Contusive SCI was induced by dropping one of three different weights (15, 17, or 20 g) at the C5 level from a height of 50 mm. Serial magnetic resonance images showed significant differences in the intramedullary T1 low signal and T2 high signal areas among the three groups. Quantitative histologic analyses revealed that the number of motor neurons, the myelinated areas, and the amounts of corticospinal tract fibers decreased significantly as the injury increased in severity. Motor functions were evaluated using the following tests: original behavioral scoring scale, measurements of spontaneous motor activity, bar grip test, and cage-climbing test. Significant differences in all test results were observed among the three groups. Spontaneous motor activities at 10 weeks after injury were closely correlated with the residual myelinated area at the lesion epicenter. The establishment of a reliable nonhuman primate model for SCI with objective functional evaluation methods should become an essential tool for future SCI treatment studies. Quantitative behavioral and histopathologic analyses enabled three distinct grades of injury severity (15-g, 17-g, and 20-g groups) to be characterized with heavier weights producing more serious injuries, and relatively constant behavioral and histopathologic outcomes.

L-DOPA produces strong induction of c-fos messenger RNA in dopamine-denervated cortical and striatal areas of the common marmoset

Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) with near-complete unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine denervation of the dopaminergic input received a single injection of saline or L-DOPA (15mg/kg plus 6.25mg/kg benserazide). Using in situ hybridization, the effects of these treatments on c-fos messenger RNA expression in the cerebral cortex, the striatal complex and the external layer of the pallidum were studied. Moreover, receptor autoradiography was used to determine the levels of dopamine D(1) and D(2) receptors in these areas. In the cerebral cortex, animals treated with L-DOPA displayed a high expression of c-fos messenger RNA restricted to the dopamine-denervated hemisphere. No changes in the levels of cortical D(1) and D(2) receptors were found in the dopamine-denervated hemisphere. L-DOPA treatment also induced a strong expression of c-fos messenger RNA in the striatal complex in the dopamine-denervated hemisphere. The levels of striatal D(2), but not D(1), receptors were increased in the dopamine-denervated hemisphere. In the external pallidum, the major terminal region for D(2) dopamine receptor-containing striatal projection neurons, L-DOPA treatment induced c-fos messenger RNA expression in both the intact and the dopamine-denervated hemispheres.Thus, using c-fos messenger RNA as a biochemical marker of postsynaptic neuronal activation, these results provide evidence that near-complete dopamine depletion causes a profound supersensitization to L-DOPA treatment in the cerebral cortex and in the striatal complex, but not in the external layer of the pallidum, of the primate brain. The cortical response may be unique to the primate brain, but c-fos messenger RNA activation within the striatum has also been reported in the rodent. The effects of L-DOPA probably depend both on a direct activation of supersensitized dopamine receptors by dopamine produced in the few remaining, but hyperactive, dopaminergic nerve terminals and in serotonergic nerve terminals, as well as on indirect actions of L-DOPA related to activation of circuitries connecting cerebral cortex and basal ganglia structures. These results provide novel information on the mechanisms underlying L-DOPA's action in the cerebral cortex, striatum and external pallidum in a primate model of Parkinson's disease.

Behavioral test systems in marmoset monkeys

A number of neurobehavioral methods have been developed to test behavior in marmoset monkeys. These test systems are (1) the bungalow test, which quantifies spontaneous explorative behavior, (2) the hand-eye coordination test, which tests a learned task of coordinated motor behavior, and (3) the fear-potentiated startle response, which tests and quantifies pathological anxiety manifested by a response of fright. The test systems are extensively discussed, and the value of these test systems is exemplified by applying them to neurological disorders to register disease activity and drug efficacy.

Effects of risperidone and haloperidol on tachykinin and opioid precursor peptide mRNA levels in the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens of the rat

We investigated whether the two output pathways of the striatum are differently affected by the novel atypical drug risperidone and the conventional typical antipsychotic drug haloperidol. To this end, changes in mRNA levels of preproenkephalin-A, preproenkephalin-B, and preprotachykinin were determined in the rat striatum following chronic drug treatment for 14 days, using quantitative in situ hybridization. Furthermore, we studied the contribution of the dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A antagonist components of risperidone in establishing its effects on neuropeptide mRNA levels in the striatum. The results showed that both risperidone and haloperidol had major effects on the preproenkephalin-A mRNA and thus on the indirect striatal output route, whereas they had minor effects on preproenkephalin-B and preprotachykinin mRNA, contained by the direct output route. When both drugs were administered in the same dose, preproenkephalin-A mRNA was much more elevated by haloperidol than by risperidone. However, when doses of risperidone and haloperidol were modified to attain comparable dopamine D2 receptor occupancy, the drugs had comparable effects on preproenkephalin-A mRNA levels. It was further found that 5-HT2A/C receptor blockade with ritanserin had only modest effects on preproenkephalin-B and preprotachykinin mRNA levels and did not affect preproenkephalin-A mRNA levels. We conclude that risperidone and haloperidol, administered in the same dose, differently affect the striatal output routes. Furthermore, the results suggest that the effects of risperidone on neuropeptide mRNA levels are fully accounted for by its D2 antagonism and that no indication exists for a role of 5-HT2A receptor blockade in this action.

Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD67 and GAD65) gene expression is increased in a subpopulation of neurons in the putamen of Parkinsonian monkeys

The cellular distribution of the mRNAs encoding for the two isoforms of glutamate decarboxylase, GAD67 and GAD65, was analyzed by in situ hybridization histochemistry in the caudate nucleus and putamen of control and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated parkinsonian squirrel monkeys. On brain sections processed with a radioactive and a digoxigenin-labeled cRNA probe, the GAD67 and GAD65 mRNAs were colocalized in virtually all labeled neurons of the caudate nucleus and putamen, in both control and MPTP-treated monkeys. Furthermore, neurons labeled with the GAD cRNAs constituted at least 90% of all striatal neurons, as estimated on adjacent Nissl-stained sections. In the two groups of monkeys, double-labeling experiments using a combination of radioactive GAD67 or GAD65 and digoxigenin-labeled preproenkephalin (PPE) cRNA probes showed that roughly half of all neurons labeled with the GAD cRNAs were also labeled with the PPE cRNA probe. When compared to controls, GAD67 and GAD65 mRNA levels were higher in the putamen, and to a lesser extent in the caudate nucleus, of MPTP-treated monkeys. Further analysis of labeling at the cellular level in a dorsolateral sector of the putamen revealed that GAD67 and GAD65 mRNA levels in MPTP-treated monkeys were increased in PPE-labeled (presumed striato-pallidal) neurons but not in PPE-unlabeled (presumed striato-nigral) neurons. Our results demonstrate that most neurons in the caudate nucleus and putamen of squirrel monkeys contain the mRNAs encoding for the two GAD isoforms. In addition, the selective increase in GAD mRNA levels in PPE-labeled neurons provides further evidence that striato-pallidal GABAergic neurons are hyperactive in MPTP-treated parkinsonian monkeys.