Abstract
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a member of the transforming growth factor β super-family and acts as a neurotrophic factor for the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. GDNF was injected stereotaxically into the striatum of young (2 months old) and aged (12 months old) C57BL/6 mice that were treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) 1 week earlier. Immunocytochemical and neurochemical analyses showed significant recovery of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system both in young and in aged mice. Since Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder mainly affecting elderly people, this result demonstrates the potential usefulness of GDNF in treating Parkinson's disease.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2365-2369 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | NeuroReport |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 13 1998 |
Keywords
- Ageing
- Dopamine
- GDNF
- Parkinson's disease
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)