Estrogen Increases Striatal GDNF Immunoreactivity with no Effect on Striatal FGF-2 Immunoreactivity of MPTP-Treated Mice.

BACKGROUND: Glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) protect nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DA) neurons and their projections in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent data indicate neuroprotective effects of estrogen in PD animal models through its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, yet the hormonal effects on GDNF and FGF-2 expression in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice remain uninvestigated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) on DA innervation and the expression ofGDNFandFGF-2 in the striatum of MPTP-treated mice. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Adult male mice were treated with E2 or vehicle for 11 days during which they were injected with MPTP or saline on the sixth day. The striatum was collected on day 11 and processedfor tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), GDNF and FGF-2 immunohistochemistry. Extent ofDA innervation and the expression of GDNF and FGF-2 in the striatum were assessed by measuring optical density of TH, GDNF and FGF-2 immunoreactivity, respectively. RESULTS: MPTP induced loss of DA axons and upregulation of FGF-2 expression, but did not alter GDNF level. E2 alleviated loss of DA axons, increased GDNF level, yet caused no change in FGF-2 level ofthe MPTP-intoxicated animals. CONCLUSION: One possible mechanism by which E2 protects nigrostriatal DA axons against MPTP is through upregulation ofstriatal GDNF.

Curcumin protects nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and reduces glial activation in 6-hydroxydopamine hemiparkinsonian mice model.

This study investigated the effects of curcumin on nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DA) neurons and glial response in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) hemiparkinsonian mice. Following unilateral intrastriatal 6-OHDA injection, mice were daily injected with curcumin for seven days, beginning on the day of lesion. Seven days after 6-OHDA lesioning, sections from the striatum and the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) were collected and immunohistochemically stained for DA neurons and reactive glia. Curcumin decreased 6-OHDA-induced loss of nigral tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-IR) neurons and striatal TH-IR fibers. The neuroprotection was coincided with a significant attenuation of microglial and astroglial reaction in the SNpc and the striatum. These results suggest that the neuroprotective effects of curcumin in 6-OHDA-lesioned mice may be mediated through its anti-inflammatory properties or direct protection on nigral DA neurons, thereby reducing neuronal injury-induced glial activation.

Estrogen reduces BDNF level, but maintains dopaminergic cell density in the striatum of MPTP mouse model.

Degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) axons in the striatum triggers upregulation of striatal trophic activity and striatal DA neuronal number in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study investigated the effects of 17beta-estradiol (E2) on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and the density of DA neurons in the striatum of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model in correlation with nigrostriatal DA innervation. Adult male C57Bl/6 mice were treated with E2 or vehicle for 11 days. Following 5 days of E2 or vehicle pretreatment, animals were injected with MPTP on day 6. On day 11, all mice were sacrificed, and the striatum were collected and processed for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and BDNF immunohistochemistry. Striatal TH-immunoreactive (IR) neurons were counted. Extent of DA innervation and BDNF expression in the striatum were assessed by measuring optical density of TH and BDNF immunoreactivity, respectively. Pretreatment with E2 partially prevented DA denervation and decreased striatal BDNF upregulation triggered by MPTP, but maintained the density of striatal TH-IR neurons to that observed in MPTP group. These findings suggest that estrogen protection of nigrostriatal DA axons against MPTP as well as preservation of the striatal TH-IR cell density in MPTP/E2 mice may be not mediated by BDNF.

Estrogen enhances the number of nigral dopaminergic neurons of adult male mice without affecting nigral neuroglial number and morphology.

Emerging evidence indicate the modulating effects of estrogen on dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). One of the mechanisms underlying the effect of estrogen is through neuroglia. To determine whether estrogen affects the number of dopaminergic neurons and reactive astrocytes and microglia in the SNpc of male mice, 14-week-old C57Bl/6 male mice were injected with 17beta-estradiol (E2) or vehicle for 10.5 days. On day 11 all mice were killed and the SNpc were collected and processed for lectin (GSI-B4) histochemistry, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry. Quantitative studies demonstrated that E2 significantly increases the number of TH-immunoreactive (IR) neurons in the SNpc but the hormone induces no change either in cell number or cell morphology of GFAP-IR astroglia and GSI-B4(+ve) microglia. These observations suggest that E2 can influence the number of nigral dopaminergic neurons of male mice and possibly protects dopaminergic neuronal loss during normal aging and in Parkinson's disease.

17Beta-estradiol reduces nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity and increases SOD1 and SOD2 immunoreactivity in nigral neurons in male mice following MPTP insult.

Emerging evidence suggests the beneficial effects of estrogen on Parkinson's disease (PD), yet the mechanisms of action implicated remain elusive. While experimental evidence suggests that estrogen possesses potent antioxidative properties, it is still unknown whether the hormone exhibits a neuroprotection in a PD animal model through its antioxidant activities. This study therefore investigated the effects of 17beta-estradiol (E2) on the immunoreactivity of nigral neurons and glia for nitrotyrosine (NT, a stable marker for oxidative stress), Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD2) in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model. Adult male mice were treated with E2 or vehicle for 11 days during which they were injected with MPTP or saline on the sixth day. The brains were collected on day 11 and quantitative immunohistochemistry was used to assess the number of NT-, SOD1- and SOD2-immunoreactive (IR) cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). In saline-treated group, E2 decreased NT-IR neuronal number and raised SOD1 and SOD2 expression in neurons and glia in the SNpc. MPTP induced a significant increase in the number of NT- and SOD2-IR neurons, but decreased the number of SOD1-IR neurons. MPTP also triggered a significant increase of SOD2- and SOD1-IR glial number. E2 pretreatment in MPTP mice reduced the number of NT-IR neurons, increased the number of SOD1- and SOD2-IR neurons, but did not alter the MPTP effect on glia immunoreactive to either SOD. Stimulation of SOD1 and SOD2 expression in nigral neurons suggests that E2 provides neuroprotection against MPTP-induced oxidative stress, partly through its ability to act as an antioxidant.

Estrogen down-regulates glial activation in male mice following 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine intoxication.

Emerging evidence suggests beneficial effect of estrogen for Parkinson's disease (PD), yet the exact mechanisms implicated remain obscured. Activated glia observed in MPTP mouse model and in PD may participate in the cascade of deleterious events that ultimately leads to dopaminergic nigral neuronal death. In vitro studies demonstrate that estrogen can modify the microglial and astroglial expression of inflammatory mediator, such as cytokines and chemokines implicated in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. To determine whether estrogen-elicited neuroprotection in PD is mediated through glia, adult male C57Bl/6 mice were treated with 17beta-estradiol (E2) for a total of 11 days. Following 5 days of pretreatment with E2, they were injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on the sixth day. The brains were collected on day 11. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative study were used to assess the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-IR) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and that of activated astrocytes and activated microglia in the SNpc and the striatum. Pretreatment with E2 decreased the loss of TH-IR nigral neurons and diminished the deficit of TH-IR striatal fibers triggered by MPTP. The neuroprotective effect of E2 was coincident with an attenuation of a glial response within the nigra and the striatum. These findings suggest that the neuroprotective effects of E2 evidenced in MPTP mouse model might mediate through an inhibition of reactive glia. However, direct neuroprotective effects of E2 upon TH-IR neurons cannot be excluded.

Glial responses associated with dopaminergic striatal reinnervation following lesions of the rat substantia nigra.

Lesioning of dopaminergic substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) neurons leads to depletion of dopamine (DA) and dopaminergic axons in the dorsal striatum, followed by subsequent compensatory sprouting of dopaminergic fibers and striatal reinnervation. In this study, the response of striatal glia (microglia and astroglia) was compared with the degeneration and regeneration of dopaminergic axons following SNpc lesions. Following partial SNpc lesions, density of dopamine transporter (DAT) immunoreactive (-ir) terminals in the dorsal striatum returned to normal within 16 weeks of injury, suggesting that dopaminergic reinnervation of the striatum was complete. In conjunction, the glial responses in the dorsal striatum consisted of two peaks. The first peak in glial density occurred immediately after lesioning, peaking at 7 days, implying that it was likely to be associated with removal of debris from degenerating terminals. The second glial response commenced 8 weeks after lesioning and peaked some time after 16 weeks. The time of onset of the second peak suggests that it may be associated with the establishment of synapses rather than with axonal guidance.

The role of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and glia in inducing growth of neuronal terminal arbors in mice.

After injury to the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), remaining neurons sprout to ensure normal dopamine delivery to the striatum. The consequent striatal reinnervation is highly regulated, with remaining cells sprouting so that density of dopamine terminals returns to normal. Sprouting as a result of injury is accompanied by a strong glial response; however, it is difficult to know whether this response is as a result of the injury or whether it is aiding in the sprouting. The two cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are important modulators of the glia response. This study demonstrates their role in regulating the sprouting of dopaminergic neurons and the associated glia response as a means to examine the role of glia in sprouting. Sprouting was induced by 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the SNpc and by haloperidol treatment (in the absence of injury). In wild-type animals, sprouting in association with microglial and astrocyte proliferation followed partial lesions of the SNpc and haloperidol treatment. Neither treatment evoked sprouting or glia proliferation in the type I IL-1 receptor-deficient mice, whereas in IL-6-deficient mice, both treatments resulted in glial proliferation but not sprouting. We conclude that IL-1 plays a role in modulating glia proliferation and thereby guidance and trophic factors for new fibers, whereas IL-6 may be important in triggering the outgrowth of new fibers. This study demonstrates that these cytokines play an important role in plasticity and regeneration that is separate from the inflammatory response associated with brain injury.