title: Relationship between mitochondria and α-synuclein: a study of single substantia nigra neurons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between α-synuclein pathology and mitochondrial respiratory chain protein levels within single substantia nigra neurons.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined α-synuclein and mitochondrial protein expression in substantia nigra neurons of 8 patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, 5 patients with Parkinson disease, and 8 control subjects. Protein expression was determined using immunocytochemistry followed by densometric analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined single substantia nigra neurons from 5 patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (mean age, 81.2 years), 8 patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (mean age, 75 years), and 8 neurologically and pathologically normal control subjects (mean age, 74.5 years). The control cases showed minimal Lewy body pathology and cell loss. Patients with dementia with Lewy bodies and idiopathic Parkinson disease fulfilled the clinical and neuropathologic criteria for these diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that mitochondrial density is the same in nigral neurons with and without α-synuclein pathology. However, there are significantly higher levels of the respiratory chain subunits in neurons containing α-synuclein pathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding of increased levels of respiratory chain complex subunits within neurons containing α-synuclein does not support a direct association between mitochondrial respiratory chain dysfunction and the formation of α-synuclein pathology.
authors.affiliation: Mitochondrial Research Group, Institute of Ageing and Health, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
authors.forename: Amy K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Reeve
authors.forename: Tae-Kyung
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jaros
authors.forename: Graham R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Nichola Z
authors.initials: NZ
authors.lastname: Lax
authors.forename: Philippa D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Hepplewhite
authors.forename: Kim J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Joanna L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Elson
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: McKeith
authors.forename: Doug M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Turnbull
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002452:Cell Count; D003720:Densitometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D028361:Mitochondrial Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism*; D016707:Tissue Fixation; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein