Effect of monocrotophos, an organophosphorus insecticide, on the striatal dopaminergic system in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1153-1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaheen Jafri Ali ◽  
Padmanabhan Sharda Rajini

Our earlier study had shown that low concentrations of monocrotophos (MCP) elicited dopaminergic features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In the present study, the effect of low doses of MCP on the striatal dopaminergic neurons was investigated using the mouse model system. MCP was initially screened for its ability to cause any neurobehavioral deficits and alterations in the dopaminergic system in Swiss albino mice, aged 8 weeks and weighing 25–30 g, with repeated doses at 0.3 and 0.6 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)/day for 7 days and 30 days. Mice were treated with four intraperitoneal injections for every 2 h with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) at the dosage of 14 mg/kg b.w. MCP was administered to these mice at the above-mentioned doses for 7 days. Mice administered with MCP alone revealed a significant ( p < 0.05) reduction in the dopamine (DA) content at both 7 and 30 days and showed a significant ( p < 0.05) increase in neurobehavioral deficits. Interestingly, when MCP was administered for 7 days to MPTP-treated mice, further significant decrease in both DA content and increase in neurobehavioral deficits were apparent. The extent of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation were markedly increased, while the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione levels were significantly decreased ( p < 0.05) in the treated mice as compared to the control. Significant histopathological alterations and a marked reduction in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive cells were evident in striatum of mice treated with higher doses of MCP. These changes were comparable to that seen in mice treated with MPTP and post-administered lower doses of MCP. Our findings suggest that MCP per se has the propensity to induce pathological changes in the dopaminergic neurons as well as augment the degeneration in a compromised nigrostriatal system such as that in PD.

2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (43) ◽  
pp. 13543-13556 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ghosh ◽  
A. Roy ◽  
J. Matras ◽  
S. Brahmachari ◽  
H. E. Gendelman ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Machado ◽  
A. J. Herrera ◽  
J. L. Venero ◽  
M. Santiago ◽  
R. M. de Pablos ◽  
...  

We have developed an animal model of degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, the neuronal system involved in Parkinson's disease (PD). The implication of neuroinflammation on this disease was originally established in 1988, when the presence of activated microglia in the substantia nigra (SN) of parkinsonians was reported by McGeer et al. Neuroinflammation could be involved in the progression of the disease or even has more direct implications. We injected 2 μg of the potent proinflammatory compound lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in different areas of the CNS, finding that SN displayed the highest inflammatory response and that dopaminergic (body) neurons showed a special and specific sensitivity to this process with the induction of selective dopaminergic degeneration. Neurodegeneration is induced by inflammation since it is prevented by anti-inflammatory compounds. The special sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons seems to be related to the endogenous dopaminergic content, since it is overcome by dopamine depletion. Compounds that activate microglia or induce inflammation have similar effects to LPS. This model suggest that inflammation is an important component of the degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system, probably also in PD. Anti-inflammatory treatments could be useful to prevent or slow down the rate of dopaminergic degeneration in this disease.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle St-Amour ◽  
Mélanie Bousquet ◽  
Isabelle Paré ◽  
Janelle Drouin-Ouellet ◽  
Francesca Cicchetti ◽  
...  

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