title: Influences of dopaminergic lesion on epidermal growth factor-ErbB signals in Parkinson's disease and its model: neurotrophic implication in nigrostriatal neurons.
abstract: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a member of a structurally related family containing heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalpha) that exerts neurotrophic activity on midbrain dopaminergic neurons. To examine neurotrophic abnormality in Parkinson's disease (PD), we measured the protein content of EGF, TGFalpha, and HB-EGF in post-mortem brains of patients with Parkinson's disease and age-matched control subjects. Protein levels of EGF and tyrosine hydroxylase were decreased in the prefrontal cortex and the striatum of patients. In contrast, HB-EGF and TGFalpha levels were not significantly altered in either region. The expression of EGF receptors (ErbB1 and ErbB2, but not ErbB3 or ErbB4) was down-regulated significantly in the same forebrain regions. The same phenomenon was mimicked in rats by dopaminergic lesions induced by nigral 6-hydroxydopamine infusion. EGF and ErbB1 levels in the striatum of the PD model were markedly reduced on the lesioned side, compared with the control hemisphere. Subchronic supplement of EGF in the striatum of the PD model locally prevented the dopaminergic neurodegeration as measured by tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity. These findings suggest that the neurotrophic activity of EGF is maintained by afferent signals of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and is impaired in patients with Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwakura
authors.forename: Ying-Shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Akiyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kakita
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nawa
mesh_terms: D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D066257:Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology*; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; C587883:HBEGF protein, human; C587885:Hbegf protein, rat; D066257:Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D016627:Oxidopamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase