title: Globus pallidus plays a critical role in neurotrophic factor induced functional improvements in hemiparkinsonian monkeys.
abstract: This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the integrity of the globus pallidus (GP) is critical for neurotrophic factor, such as glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), induced functional changes in rhesus macaques with MPTP-induced parkinsonism, because our previous studies demonstrated that the GP was one of the most affected areas as assessed by the levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites. A group of eight hemiparkinsonian monkeys with pallidal lesions, which positively responsed to intraventricular (ICV) injections of GDNF prior to the lesions, and a group of eight hemiparkinsonian monkeys without pallidal lesions, were treated with GDNF after a long washout period after the initial ICV infusions of GDNF. Significant behavioral improvements were only seen in the monkeys without pallidal lesions that received GDNF. Monkeys with pallidal lesions failed to exhibit any behavioral improvement even though they had elevated nigral DA levels. The results suggest that the GP is critical for neurotrophic factor induced functional changes in PD monkeys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong, University School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250021, PR China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerhardt
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gash
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020267:MPTP Poisoning / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009498:Neurotoxins; D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine