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Abstract

For a treatment to be successful in treating Parkinson�´s disease, it should control the atrophy of the dendrites and loss of spines of the striatal MSNs. The dendritic abnormalities are not only due to a diminished dopamine delivery, but also to a reduced BDNF delivery because of the degeneration of the dopamine nigral neurons. Both dopamine D3 receptors and BDNF are required for the survival, protection and proliferation of dopamine nigral neurons, and apparently, they act synergistically. We have been studying the effects of long-term activation of dopamine D3 receptors combined with the BDNF gene transfection to dopamine neurons surviving the 6-OHDA-induced degeneration. Here, we studied the effect of the longterm administration of oral Pramipexole combined with the non-viral BDNF gene transfection to dopamine nigral neurons surviving the 6-OHDA-induced degeneration. The combined treatment rescued the dendritic spines of the MSNs and the dopamine nigral neurons, which was associated with the full recovery of motor behavior and normal muscle tone (muscular rigidity abolished). The recovery apparently was permanent because it persisted 3 months after the end of the treatment, which is consistent with the recovery of the dendritic spines of the striatal neurons. Thus, the treatment appears to be a promising disease modifying treatment for Parkinson�´s disease.

Biography

Email: jaceves@fisio.cinvestav.mx