Oxidative stress in respiratory control of Parkinson Disease animal model

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an idiopathic, chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease physiopathologically characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons from the compact portion of the substantia nigra (SN), resulting from complex interactions between genetic abnormalities, environmental toxins, mitochondrial dysfunction and other cellular processes, as well as rupture of the blood-brain barrier in the SN region. Recent studies have suggested a correlation between cardiorespiratory changes and neurodegeneration in brainstem regions where the major cardiorespiratory nuclei are found (Tuppy et al., 2000, Falquetto et al., 2017). An increase in oxidative stress in the medullary respiratory control regions in the animal model of PD induced by bilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injection in the striatum was also observed, which could be a major cause of the observed medullary neurodegeneration. Therefore, this project seeks to evaluate when, in the PD model, oxidative stress becomes evident in the respiratory control nuclei and if it is dependent on the enzyme Nox (NADPH oxidase). In addition, we will evaluate if the treatment with the non-specific inhibitor of this enzyme, apocynin, is capable of reversing oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in the respiratory control regions, leading to an improvement in respiratory function by the reversal of pro-apoptotic signs and autophagy. For this, the functional respiratory evaluations will be performed by whole body plethysmography, neuroanatomical and biochemical experiments. (AU)