Browsing by Subject "L-dopa"

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease where the nigrostriatal dopaminergic cells die gradually causing severe motor symptoms. Current treatment of the disease relieves the symptoms but does not affect the progression of the disease, nor does it have a neuroprotective effect. The most important drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease is L-dopa, the precursor of dopamine. With long-term use, L-dopa loses its efficacy and patients start to get adverse effects. The most significant adverse effects are abnormal involuntary movements called dyskinesias. In the literature review of this thesis Parkinson's disease and its treatment is briefly described. Review focuses on the description of the brain cholinergic and histaminergic systems and their receptors along with the available studies about cholinergic and histaminergic neurotransmission in Parkinson's disease 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rodent model. The experimental part of this thesis consisted of two different set of experiments and in both of these the dopamine neurons were destroyed unilaterally by injecting 6-OHDA into the striatum. The aim of the first experiment was to examine histamine H3-receptor antagonist JNJ-39220675 and α7-nicotinic receptor agonist PHA-543613, and their combination therapy effects on motor function and the concentrations of striatal neurotransmitters in hemiparkinsonian mice. Effects on motor function were studied two and four weeks after the 6-OHDA injection with cylinder test, the D-amphetamine-induced rotations, and the inverted grid test. After behavioral tests, mice were sacrificed and striatal neurotransmitter concentrations were determinated by HPLC. The aim of the second experiment was to examine if nicotine can relieve L-dopa-induced dyskinesias. In this experiment 6-OHDA was injected at two sites into the striatum, which was intended to produce more extensive destruction of dopaminergic neurons than in the first experiment. The extent of the lesion by 6-OHDA was verified before starting chronic L-dopa treatments with cylinder test. One month after the 6-OHDA injection, five mice were sacrificed and their striatum and substantia nigra sections were measured for destruction of dopaminergic neurons by immunohistochemical TH-staining. Chronic L-dopa treatment with benserazide was started 49‚àí63 days after the 6-OHDA injection. At the same time, mice were divided into two groups. Half of them got normal drinking water and half got nicotine water. During the chronic L-dopa treatment, development of dyskinesias was observed once a week by video tracking. The cylinder test was also done once again after starting the L-dopa treatment. In the first experiment, H3-receptor antagonist JNJ-39220675 showed promising results in improving motor function. Mice used the impaired (contralateral) paw more in the cylinder test and rotated less to the ipsilateral side in the D-amphetamine-induced rotation test than control animals two weeks after the 6-OHDA injection. Combination therapy also reduced the ipsilateral rotations but in the cylinder test it had no effect two weeks after 6-OHDA injection. Because the asymmetry in behavioural tests were caused by destroying dopaminergic neurons, balancing of the motor skills can result from decreased levels of dopamine in the intact side or from increased dopamine levels or stronger dopaminergic postsynaptic transmission in the lesion side. The results four weeks after 6-OHDA injection are not reliable because the striatal samples showed that dopamine concentrations in the lesion side were very close to that of the intact side indicating recovery from the lesion. In the second experiment, mice developed dyskinesias which were decreased with nicotine treatment. Mice also used the contralateral side paw less indicative of loss of dopamine neurons. In agreement, TH-immunostaining confirmed significant loss of TH-positive neurons. Based on these findings, the 6-OHDA injection site, the selected drug doses, and the experimental design seem to fit the evaluation of dyskinesias. The occurrence of dyskinesias and nicotine's effect on them was seen strongest in the body movements. Dyskinesias in forelimbs were minor, but the nicotine treatment decreased them also.