title: Contrasting gene expression patterns induced by levodopa and pramipexole treatments in the rat model of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Whether the treatment of Parkinson's disease has to be initiated with levodopa or a D2 agonist like pramipexole remains debatable. Levodopa is more potent against symptoms than D2 agonists, but D2 agonists are less prone to induce motor complications and may have neuroprotective effects. Although regulation of plastic changes in striatal circuits may be the key to their different therapeutic potential, the gene expression patterns induced by de novo treatments with levodopa or D2 agonists are currently unknown. By studying the whole striatal transcriptome in a rodent model of early stage Parkinson's disease, we have identified the gene expression patterns underlying therapeutically comparable chronic treatments with levodopa or pramipexole. Despite the overall relatively small size of mRNA expression changes at the level of individual transcripts, our data show a robust and complete segregation of the transcript expression patterns induced by both treatments. Moreover, transcripts related to oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial function were enriched in levodopa-treated compared to vehicle-treated and pramipexole-treated animals, whereas transcripts related to olfactory transduction pathways were enriched in both treatment groups compared to vehicle-treated animals. Thus, our data reveal the plasticity of genetic striatal networks possibly contributing to the therapeutic effects of the most common initial treatments for Parkinson's disease, suggesting a role for oxidative stress in the long term complications induced by levodopa and identifying previously overlooked signaling cascades as potentially new therapeutic targets.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parkinson Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET-UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: taravini@ffyb.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Irene R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Taravini
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parkinson Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET-UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: celialarramendy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larramendy
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parkinson Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET-UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: gimenagomez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gimena
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parkinson Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET-UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: marianosaborido@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariano D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Saborido
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: f.spaans@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Floor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spaans
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: cfresno@bdmg.com.ar.
authors.forename: Cristóbal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fresno
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: ggonzalez@bdmg.com.ar.
authors.forename: Germán A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: efernandez@bdmg.com.ar.
authors.forename: Elmer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiología de Circuitos Neuronales, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica (IFIBIO Houssay), CONICET. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: gmurer@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mario G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Murer
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parkinson Experimental, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET-UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: gersha@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Oscar S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Gershanik
mesh_terms: D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000077487:Pramipexole; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D007980:Levodopa; D000077487:Pramipexole; D016627:Oxidopamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
keywords: Differential transcript expression patterns; Levodopa; Parkinson's disease; Pramipexole; Striatum; Transcriptome