TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamic alterations of gene expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7, α4 and β2 subunits in an acute MPTP-lesioned mouse model
AU - Hu, Jun
AU - Zhu, Chenlei
AU - Liu, Yuan
AU - Wang, Fang
AU - Huang, Zuhu
AU - Fan, Weimin
AU - Wu, Jie
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30901800 ) and a grant from the provincial initiative program for excellency disciplines (Jiangsu province). Authors thank Harrison Stratton for his English editing.
PY - 2011/5/2
Y1 - 2011/5/2
N2 - Epidemiologic studies show that the prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) is lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. Nicotine, a potent agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), excites midbrain dopaminergic neurons and this may contribute to the anti-parkinsonian effects. However, the alterations in gene expression of nAChR subunits using an acute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse PD model remain unclear. In the present study, we profile the time course of nAChR α7, α4 and β2 subunit expression levels using a comparative RT-PCR approach after acute MPTP injection. The results fall into four categories. (1) MPTP treatment transiently increased nAChR α7 (after last injection of MPTP 3 and 24 h), α4 and β2 (24 h) mRNA expression in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum. (2) Compared to cortical and hippocampal tissues, this transient increase of nAChR subunit expression specifically occurred in the SN and striatum. (3) In the acute MPTP model, time-courses of altered expression for nAChR α7, α4 and β2 subunits closely mirrored the deficits observed in animal motor activity. (4) Stereological data showed that after administration of MPTP for 24 h, there was a robust astrogliosis in the SN associated with significant dopaminergic neurodegeneration. These changes followed or paralleled MPTP-induced elevation in the levels of α7, α4 and β2 mRNAs. Collectively, our results demonstrate that nAChRs are important targets in the MPTP neurotoxic process. These data suggest that therapeutic strategies targeted toward nAChR α7, α4 and β2 subunits may have potential for developing new treatments for PD.
AB - Epidemiologic studies show that the prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) is lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. Nicotine, a potent agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), excites midbrain dopaminergic neurons and this may contribute to the anti-parkinsonian effects. However, the alterations in gene expression of nAChR subunits using an acute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse PD model remain unclear. In the present study, we profile the time course of nAChR α7, α4 and β2 subunit expression levels using a comparative RT-PCR approach after acute MPTP injection. The results fall into four categories. (1) MPTP treatment transiently increased nAChR α7 (after last injection of MPTP 3 and 24 h), α4 and β2 (24 h) mRNA expression in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum. (2) Compared to cortical and hippocampal tissues, this transient increase of nAChR subunit expression specifically occurred in the SN and striatum. (3) In the acute MPTP model, time-courses of altered expression for nAChR α7, α4 and β2 subunits closely mirrored the deficits observed in animal motor activity. (4) Stereological data showed that after administration of MPTP for 24 h, there was a robust astrogliosis in the SN associated with significant dopaminergic neurodegeneration. These changes followed or paralleled MPTP-induced elevation in the levels of α7, α4 and β2 mRNAs. Collectively, our results demonstrate that nAChRs are important targets in the MPTP neurotoxic process. These data suggest that therapeutic strategies targeted toward nAChR α7, α4 and β2 subunits may have potential for developing new treatments for PD.
KW - MPTP
KW - MRNA
KW - Mouse model
KW - Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
KW - Parkinson's disease
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U2 - 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.03.022
DO - 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.03.022
M3 - Article
C2 - 21406211
AN - SCOPUS:79954415405
SN - 0304-3940
VL - 494
SP - 232
EP - 236
JO - Neuroscience Letters
JF - Neuroscience Letters
IS - 3
ER -