Effects of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments on respiratory chang...
| Grant number: | 14/22406-1 |
| Support type: | Regular Research Grants |
| Duration: | August 01, 2015 - July 31, 2017 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems |
| Principal Investigator: | Ana Carolina Thomaz Takakura |
| Grantee: | Ana Carolina Thomaz Takakura |
| Home Institution: | Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
Abstract
Parkinson´s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremor, rigidity, akinesia (or bradykinesia) and postural instability. Pathophysiologically, PD is classified as synocleinopathy associated predominantly with loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN), but other brainstem neurons have been found to degenerate in PD, possibly contributing to the appearance of non-motor abnormalities. In patients with PD is also possible to observe respiratory disabilities whose mechanisms are still unclear. The various respiratory changes observed in PD can be characterized as upper airway obstruction, complications of medicine intake, complications of medication withdrawal and pneumonia. The aims of this project is to study possible mechanisms involved in respiratory problems associated to PD. In this way, we first will study if there are anatomical projections from SN to brainstem nuclei involved in neural control of breathing by anterograde and retrograde tracers injections in those regions. We also want to study the effects in resting breathing and ventilation changes produced by hypercapnia or hypoxia in an experimental model of PD induced by 6-hydroxidopamine (6-OHDA) injection into the striatum. The respiratory parameters will be evaluated for 60 days after 6-OHDA injection. After functional analysis, the animals will be sacrificed, perfused and will have the brains removed for imunohistochemistry treatment to analyze neuroanatomical changes in regions located in the brainstem responsible for neural control of breathing. By the end, we will investigate if selective activation of neurons located in regions involved in neural control of breathing in animals subjected to the protocol of induction of PD is able to restore respiratory function. (AU)