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Development of a Parkinsonˈs disease model in medaka fish
Author(s) -
Ferng Shiana J.,
Gonzalez David E.,
Falk Torsten,
Rilo Horacio L.,
Sherman Scott J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.998.1
Subject(s) - oryzias , substantia nigra , dopaminergic , parkinson's disease , neurotoxin , zebrafish , dopamine , fish <actinopterygii> , neuroscience , disease , immunohistochemistry , biology , neurology , medicine , gene , biochemistry , fishery
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the 2 nd most common neurodegenerative disease. Dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain are the most vulnerable to PD, and PD's primary symptoms only become evident when 60–70% of DA neurons have already died. Current PD treatments only provide symptomatic relief. 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) is a neurotoxin structurally similar to dopamine that is transported inside the brain and destroys DA neurons. The resulting PD symptoms can be identified through behavioral analysis and verification of DA neuron loss through immunohistochemical analysis in medaka fish ( Oryzias latipes ). Medaka are well‐suited as a PD model because they are transparent during most stages of development, produce numerous offspring, and readily absorb toxicants through their skin. To establish a PD medaka model to time and cost‐efficiently screen drugs that may slow, stop, or reverse the progression of PD, medaka were exposed to varying concentrations of 6‐OHDA through the water they swam in. The acquired PD symptoms were evidenced by a decrease in total distance swam and velocity, and an increase in angular velocity and turn angle in the 6‐OHDA‐treated medaka; these results are promising for the verification of a PD medaka model. This research was supported in part by a grant to the University of Arizona (UA) from Howard Hughes Medical Institute (#52006942) and the UA Department of Neurology.