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by Wai Yuen. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-157). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledegment --- p.iv / Abstract --- p.v / List of Abbreviations --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER ONE: --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1 --- Parkinson's Disease (PD) --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Epidemiology --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Neuropathology --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Clinical Symptoms --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- Treatment --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2 --- Proposed Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration in PD --- p.11 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Oxidative Stress --- p.11 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Mitochondrial Dysfunction --- p.13 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Genetic Factors --- p.15 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Environmental Factors --- p.17 / Chapter 1.2.5 --- Ageing --- p.20 / Chapter 1.3 --- "1-Methy-4-Phenyl-1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) as a PD Model" --- p.22 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Discovery of MPTP --- p.22 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- The Mechanisms of MPTP-induced Neurotoxicity --- p.23 / Chapter 1.4 --- Antioxidants in the Central Nervous System --- p.26 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Superoxide Dismutase --- p.26 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Glutathione --- p.27 / Chapter 1.5 --- Metallothioneins (MTs) --- p.29 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- Characteristics of MTs --- p.29 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- Functions of Astrocytes --- p.31 / Chapter 1.6 --- Astrocytes --- p.34 / Chapter 1.6.1 --- Characteristics of Astrocytes --- p.34 / Chapter 1.6.2 --- Functions of Astrocytes --- p.35 / Chapter 1.6.3 --- Role of Astrocytes in Parkinson's Disease --- p.39 / Chapter 1.7 --- Aim of Project --- p.41 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO: --- MATERIALS AND METHODS / Chapter 2.1 --- In Vitro Study --- p.44 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Astrocyte Cultures --- p.44 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Treatment Regimen --- p.46 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- 1 -methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium (MPP+) Treatment --- p.46 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Induction of Metallothioneins (MTs) and Glutathione (GSH) --- p.46 / Chapter 2.1.2.2.1 --- Northern Blot Analysis --- p.47 / Chapter 2.1.2.2.2 --- Immunocytochemical Staining for MTs --- p.48 / Chapter 2.1.2.2.3 --- GSH Assay --- p.49 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Iron Chelation --- p.51 / Chapter 2.1.2.4 --- Combined Pretreatment --- p.51 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Assay --- p.51 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- "3,(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) Assay" --- p.53 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Assay --- p.55 / Chapter 2.1.6 --- Protein Assay --- p.56 / Chapter 2.1.7 --- Statistics --- p.57 / Chapter 2.2 --- In Vivo Study --- p.57 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- "Administration of 1 -methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)" --- p.57 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) Immunocytochemical Staining --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- DAT Receptor Binding Assay --- p.59 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Dopamine (DA) and DA metabolites - High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) --- p.60 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Statistics --- p.61 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE: --- RESULTS / Chapter 3.1 --- In Vitro Study --- p.62 / Chapter 3.1.1. --- Induction of Metallothioneins (MTs) in Astrocytes with Zinc Sulfate (ZnS04) --- p.62 / Chapter 3.1.1.1 --- Immunocytochemical changes --- p.62 / Chapter 3.1.1.2 --- Northern Blot Analysis --- p.62 / Chapter 3.1.1.3 --- The Effects of ZnSO4 Pretreatment on 1 -methyl-4-phenyl- pyridinium (MPP+)-treated Astrocytes --- p.63 / Chapter 3.1.1.3.1 --- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Activities --- p.63 / Chapter 3.1.1.3.2 --- "3,(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl- tetrazolium bromide (MTT) Activities" --- p.67 / Chapter 3.1.1.3.3 --- Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Production --- p.71 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- The Effects of NAc Pretreatment on MPP+-treated Astrocytes --- p.75 / Chapter 3.1.2.1 --- Glutathione (GSH) levels --- p.75 / Chapter 3.1.2.2 --- LDH Activities --- p.77 / Chapter 3.1.2.3 --- MTT Activities --- p.80 / Chapter 3.1.2.4 --- ROS Production --- p.83 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- The Effects of Deferoxamine on MPP+-treated Astrocytes --- p.87 / Chapter 3.1.3.1 --- LDH Activities --- p.87 / Chapter 3.1.3.2 --- ROS Production --- p.89 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- The Effects of ZnSO4 and NAc Combined Treatment on MPP+-treated Astrocytes --- p.92 / Chapter 3.1.4.1 --- LDH Activities --- p.92 / Chapter 3.1.4.2 --- ROS Production --- p.95 / Chapter 3.2 --- "Effects of 1 -methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on MT-I, -II Knock-out Mice" --- p.99 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- The Effects of MPTP on Substantia Nigral (SN) Cell Loss --- p.99 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- The Effects of MPTP on Striatal (ST) and SN Dopamine Transporter (DAT) Binding --- p.99 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- The Effects of MPTP on ST Dopamine (DA) Metabolites --- p.100 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR: --- DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION --- p.102 / REFERENCES --- p.123

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2005. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Ο μυς weaver αποτελεί ένα γενετικό ζωϊκό μοντέλο της νόσου Parkinson που χαρακτηρίζεται από προοδευτική εκφύλιση των κυττάρων της μελαινοραβδωτής ντοπαμινεργικής οδού. Η μεταβολή της γλουταμινεργικής διαβίβασης στο κύκλωμα των βασικών γαγγλίων ως απόκριση στη ντοπαμινεργική εκφύλιση έχει προταθεί ότι εμπλέκεται στην παθοφυσιολογία της νόσου Parkinson. Οι ιδιότητες των υποδοχέων του γλουταμινικού εξαρτώνται από τη σύνθεση των υπομονάδων τους και τη φωσφορυλίωσή αυτών, καθώς και από τη σύνθεση του πρωτεϊνικού συμπλόκου που σχηματίζεται ενδοκυττάρια μετά την ενεργοποίηση των υποδοχέων, μέρος του οποίου είναι η ασβεστιοεξαρτώμενη κινάση της καλμοδουλίνης ΙΙ (CaMKII), ένα μόριο σημαντικό στη συναπτική πλαστικότητα. Στην παρούσα διατριβή μελετήσαμε, με την μέθοδο της ανοσοαποτύπωσης, σε ολικό ομογενοποίημα ραβδωτού μυών weaver και φυσιολογικών, τις αλλαγές που παρατηρούνται στην πρωτεϊνική έκφραση και φωσφορυλίωση των υπομονάδων των υποδοχέων του γλουταμινικού και της αCaMKII στις ηλικίες των 3 και 6 μηνών. Στην ηλικία των 3 μηνών αναδείχθηκε στατιστικά σημαντική αύξηση στους μύες weaver σε σχέση με τους φυσιολογικούς των πρωτεϊνικών επιπέδων των υπομονάδων GluN2A και GluN2B του υποδοχέα NMDA κατά 74% και 92% και της υπομονάδας GluA1 του υποδοχέα AMPA κατά 108%. Στην ηλικία των 6 μηνών, δεν ανευρέθησαν αλλαγές στο ραβδωτό των μυών weaver στα επίπεδα έκφρασης των GluN2A και GluA1, ενώ παρατηρήθηκε στατιστικά σημαντική αύξηση της GluN2B κατά 21%. Επιπλέον, στην ηλικία των 3 μηνών αναδείχθηκε στατιστικά σημαντική αύξηση των επιπέδων φωσφορυλίωσης της GluN2B στη σερίνη 1303 κατά 40% και της GluA1 στις σερίνες 831 και 845 κατά 40% και 38%, αντίστοιχα, στους μύες weaver σε σχέση με τους φυσιολογικούς, ενώ στην ηλικία των 6 μηνών αύξηση της φωσφορυλιωμένης GluN2B κατά 22%. Επιπρόσθετα, τα αποτελέσματά μας ανέδειξαν στο ραβδωτό των μυών weaver στατιστικά σημαντική αύξηση της φωσφoρυλίωσης της αCaMKII στη θρεονίνη 286 κατά 176%, ενώ τα επίπεδα της ολικής CaMKII δεν παρουσίασαν στατιστικά σημαντική διαφορά είτε στους 3 είτε στους 6 μήνες. Τα αποτελέσματα μας υποδεικνύουν ότι διακριτοί βαθμοί εκφύλισης των ντοπαμινεργικών νευρώνων επηρεάζουν με διαφορετικό τρόπο την έκφραση και φωσφορυλίωση των υποδοχέων γλουταμινικού και της αCaMKII στο ραβδωτό. Τα ευρήματα σε αυτό το γενετικό παρκινσονικό μοντέλο προτείνουν ότι η γλουταμινεργική διαβίβαση στο ραβδωτό παίζει πιθανά σημαντικό ρόλο στη συναπτική πλαστικότητα και στην κινητική συμπεριφορά, που έπονται της σταδιακής και χρόνιας έλλειψης ντοπαμίνης στη νόσο Parkinson, με βιοχημικά επακόλουθα πέρα από αυτά που παρατηρούνται στα οξέα τοξικά μοντέλα. / Weaver mutant mouse is a valuable tool to further our understanding of Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis since dopaminergic neurons of the nigro-striatal pathway undergo spontaneous and progressive cell death. Abnormalities in striatal glutamate transmission as a response to dopaminergic degenaration have been associated with the pathophysiology of Parkinson disease. The physiological properties of glutamate receptors depend on their subunit composition and phosphorylation along with the composition of the protein complex formed downstream of receptor activation, where α-subunit of calcium–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII), a molecule important to synaptic plasticity, participates. In the present study, using immuoblotting in total striatal homogenate, we investigated the changes in protein expression and phosphorylation of glutamate receptor subunits and αCaMKII at the end of the third and sixth postnatal month. We found increased expression levels of GluN2A and GluN2B subunits of NMDA receptors and GluA1 subunit of AMPA receptors by 74%, 92% and 108% in the 3-month-old weaver striatum compared to control. In the 6-month-old weaver striatum, no changes were detected in GluN2A and GluA1 expression levels, whereas GluN2B showed a 21% statistically significant increase. Our results also indicated increased phosphorylations of GluN2B at serine 1303 by 40% and GluA1 at serines 831 and 845 by 40% and 38% in the 3-month-old and increased GluN2B phosphorylation by 22% in the 6-month-old weaver striatum compared to control. Furthermore, our results showed increased pCaMKIIThr286 phosphorylation by 176% in the 6 month-old weaver striatum, while total CaMKII protein levels were not altered at either 3- or 6-month-old weaver. Our results indicate that distinct degrees of DA neuron degeneration differentially affect expression and phosphorylation of striatal glutamate receptors and αCaMKII. Findings on this genetic parkinsonian model suggest that striatal glutamatergic signaling may play an important role in synaptic plasticity and motor behavior that follow progressive and chronic dopamine depletion in PD with biochemical consequences beyond those seen in acute toxic models.

Orientador: Rodrigo Vitório / Coorientador: Lilian Teresa Bucken Gobbi / Banca: Luciane Aparecida Pascucci Sande de Souza / Banca: Paula Favaro Polastri Zago / Resumo: Introdução: Os comprometimentos da marcha na doença de Parkinson (DP) estão associados à elevada ocorrência de quedas e redução dos níveis de independência dos pacientes. Intervenções envolvendo o uso de dicas auditivas rítmicas têm apresentado benefícios em medidas da marcha dos pacientes. O objetivo do estudo foi comparar a resposta dos parâmetros da marcha de pacientes com DP, durante, imediatamente após e até 1h após o término de uma sessão de intervenção de locomoção com e sem dicas auditivas rítmicas. Materiais e método: 29 pacientes com diagnóstico de DP idiopática foram aleatoriamente distribuídos em dois grupos: „grupo controle‟ (participação em uma sessão de intervenção sem dicas auditivas rítmicas) e „grupo dica‟ (participação em uma sessão de intervenção com dicas auditivas rítmicas). A sessão de intervenção com dicas rítmicas teve 30 minutos de duração (divididos em 3 blocos) e incluiu tentativas de prática em três ritmos (metrônomo): 10% abaixo da cadência preferida, cadência preferida e 10% acima da cadência preferida. A sessão controle teve a mesma duração e as tentativas de prática foram realizadas em velocidade preferida, sem utilização de metrônomo. A avaliação da marcha foi realizada sem o uso de dicas auditivas rítmicas nos seguintes momentos: Baseline, após cada bloco da sessão de treino (pós-bloco1, pós-bloco2 e pós-bloco3) e 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 e 60 minutos após o fim da sessão de treino. Resultados: As análises univariadas não revelaram interação en... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Introduction: Parkinson ‟ s disease (PD) related gait impairment s are associated with high occurrence of falls and reduced levels of independence. Interventions involving the use of rhythmic auditory cues have been shown to benefit gait measurements in patients with PD . The aim of th is study was to compare the response of g ait parameters in patients with PD during, immediately after and up to 1h after the end of a l ocomotion intervention session with and without rhythmic cues. Materials and methods: 29 patients with idiopathic PD were randomly assigned to two groups: „contro l group‟ (participation in an intervention session without rhythmic auditory cues) and „cueing group‟ (participation in an intervention sess ion with rhythmic auditory cues ). The intervention session with rhythmic auditory cues was 30 minutes long (split in 3 blocks) and included practice trials in three different rhythm s (metronome): 10% below the preferred cadence, preferred cadence and 10% above the preferred cadence . The control session had the same duration and the practice trials were carried out in se lf - selected preferred speed, without the use of the metronome. G ait assessment was performed without rhythmic auditory cues in the following moments: Baseline, after each block of the training session (post - block 1, post - block 2 and post - block 3) and 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 minutes after the end of the session . Results: Univariate analyzes did not reveal interaction betwe en fa... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre