The effect of the sulfation patterns of dermatan and chondroitin sulfate from vertebrates and ascidians on their neuritogenic and neuroprotective properties.

Neurodegeneration is caused by the progressive loss of the structure and function of neurons, leading to cell death, and it is the main cause of many neurodegenerative diseases. Many molecules, such as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), have been studied for their potential to prevent or treat these diseases. They are widespread in nature and perform an important role in neuritogenesis and neuroprotection. Here we investigated the neuritogenic and neuroprotective role of Phallusia nigra dermatan sulfate (PnD2,6S) and compared it with two distinct structures of chondroitin sulfate (C6S) and dermatan sulfate (D4S). For this study, a neuro 2A murine neuroblastoma cell line was used, and a chemical lesion was induced by the pesticide rotenone (ROT). We observed that PnD2,6S + ROT had a better neuritogenic effect than either C6S + ROT or D4S + ROT at a lower concentration (0.05 µg/mL). When evaluating the mitochondrial membrane potential, PnD2,6S showed a neuroprotective effect at a concentration of 0.4 µg/mL. These data indicate different mechanisms underlying this neuronal potential, in which the sulfation pattern is important for neuritogenic activity, while for neuroprotection all DS/CS structures had similar effects. This finding leads to a better understanding the chemical structures of PnD2,6S, C6S, and D4S and their therapeutic potential.

Use of invertebrates to model chemically induced parkinsonism-symptoms.

The prevalence of neurological diseases is currently growing due to the combination of several factor, including poor lifestyle and environmental imbalance which enhance the contribution of genetic factors. Parkinson's disease (PD), a chronic and progressive neurological condition, is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative human diseases. Development of models may help to understand its pathophysiology. This review focuses on studies using invertebrate models to investigate certain chemicals that generate parkinsonian-like symptoms models. Additionally, we report some preliminary results of our own research on a crustacean (the crab Ucides cordatus) and a solitary ascidian (Styela plicata), used after induction of parkinsonism with 6-hydroxydopamine and the pesticide rotenone, respectively. We also discuss the advantages, limits, and drawbacks of using invertebrate models to study PD. We suggest prospects and directions for future investigations of PD, based on invertebrate models.