Neurotrophic‐4/5 is a survival factor for embryonic midbrain dopaminergic neurons in enriched cultures

Parkinson's disease is a prevalent neurological disease characterized by profound and incapacitating movement disorders. A common pathology in Parkinson's patients is degeneration of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons that innervate the striatum and a corresponding decrease in striatal dopamine content. We now report that NT‐4/5 can prevent the death of rat embryonic substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons in low density, enriched, primary cultures. Furthermore, these neurons express messenger RNA encoding the trkB receptor for NT‐4/5 and transcripts for NT‐4/5 are present in their environment. In addition, we demonstrate that NT‐4/5 protects embryonic dopaminergic neurons from the toxic effects of the neurotoxin MPP+ THUAS, nt‐4/5 could be a physiological survival factor for midbrain dopaminergic neurons and may be useful as a therapeutic agent for parkinson's disease. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.