A rat model of Parkinsonism shows depletion of dopamine in the retina.
The retinal dopamine (DA) deficiency is an important feature of the pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease (PD) visual dysfunction. Systemic inhibition of complex I (rotenone) in rats has been proposed as a model of PD. In this study, we investigated whether systemic inhibition of complex I can induce impairment of DA-ergic cells in the retina, similar to the destruction of retinal cells found in PD patients. Rotenone (2.5mg/kg i.p., daily) was administered over 60 days. Neurochemically, rotenone treated rats showed a depletion of DA in the striatum and substantia nigra (SN). In addition, the number of retinal DA-ergic amacrine cells was significantly reduced in the rotenone treated animals. This study is the first one giving highlight towards a deeper understanding of systemic complex I inhibition (rotenone as an environmental toxin) and the connection between both, DA-ergic degeneration in the nigrostriatal pathway, and in the DA-ergic amacrine cells of the retina.
Biehlmaier
Oliver
O
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Department of Biology, and the Brain Research Institute at the University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland. biehlmaier@hifo.unizh.ch
Alam
Mesbah
M
Schmidt
Werner J
WJ
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D004298:Dopamine