Protection of dopaminergic neurons by electroconvulsive shock in an animal model of Parkinson's disease

Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) improves motor function in Parkinson's disease. In rats, ECS stimulates the expression of various factors some of which have been proposed to exert neuroprotective actions. We have investigated the effects of ECS on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-injected rats. Three weeks...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Anastasia Gonzalez, Agustin; de Erausquin, Gabriel Alejandro; Wojnacki Fonseca, José Ignacio; Masco, Daniel Hugo
Format: Article
Status:Published version
Publication date:2007
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/61638
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/61638
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:6-Hydroxydopamine
Electroconvulsive Shock
Glial Cell-Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Neuroprotection
Parkinson
Substantia Nigra
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/3.1
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/3
Description
Summary:Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) improves motor function in Parkinson's disease. In rats, ECS stimulates the expression of various factors some of which have been proposed to exert neuroprotective actions. We have investigated the effects of ECS on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-injected rats. Three weeks after a unilateral administration of 6-OHDA, 85-95% nigral dopaminergic neurons are lost. Chronic ECS prevented this cell loss, protect the nigrostriatal pathway (assessed by FloroGold retrograde labeling) and reduce motor impairment in 6-OHDA-treated animals. Injection of 6-OHDA caused loss of expression of glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in the substantia nigra. Chronic ECS completely prevented this loss of GDNF expression in 6-OHDA-treated animals. We also found that protected dopaminergic neurons co-express GDNF receptor proteins. These results strongly suggest that endogenous changes in GDNF expression may participate in the neuroprotective mechanism of ECS against 6-OHDA induced toxicity. © 2007 The Authors.