Effect of chronic treatment with riluzole on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in weaver mutant mice.
The effects of a chronic treatment with the anti-glutamate and sodium channel modulating neuroprotective agent riluzole on the degeneration of dopamine-containing neurons were studied in the brain of weaver mutant mice. In these animals, as in Parkinson's disease, dopaminergic neurons of the nigro-striatal pathway undergo spontaneous and progressive cell death. Homozygous weaver mice were orally treated twice a day with either 8 mg/kg riluzole or placebo for 2 months. Quantification of tyrosine-hydroxylase and dopamine-transporter axonal immunostaining in the striatum revealed that riluzole significantly increased the density of striatal dopaminergic nerve terminals. These results suggest that riluzole protects dopaminergic processes in the weaver mice and/or promotes their neuroplasticity.
Douhou
Aïcha
A
INSERM U-289, Hôpital de la Salpétriêre, Paris, France.
Debeir
Thomas
T
Murer
Mario Gustavo
MG
Do
Louis
L
Dufour
Noëlle
N
Blanchard
Véronique
V
Moussaoui
Saliha
S
Bohme
Georg Andrees
GA
Agid
Yves
Y
Raisman-Vozari
Rita
R
D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D051676:G Protein-Coupled Inwardly-Rectifying Potassium Channels; D006720:Homozygote; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D019782:Riluzole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013995:Time; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000096:biosynthesis
D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D051676:G Protein-Coupled Inwardly-Rectifying Potassium Channels; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D019782:Riluzole; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine