Pharmacological strategies for the prevention of the respiratory abnormalities in an animal model of Parkinson´s s disease

• Grant number: 17/18074-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2018
• End date: June 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Autonomic Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Takakura Moreira
• Grantee: Luara Augusta da Costa e Silva Braga Batista
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurological condition that affects approximately 1% of the elderly population. It is characterized by motor symptoms, such as bradykinesia, tremors, and postural instability. In addition, non-motor autonomic symptoms can be present, such as constipation, orthostatic hypotension and respiratory abnormalities. The respiratory symptoms, such as obstructive sleep apnea, can lead do the death of patients diagnosed with PD. Therefore, the study of respiratory symptoms in PD can contribute to the development of more effective or preventive treatments. Animals with lesion of the nigrostriatal fibers present hypoventilation and a deficit in the response to hypercapnia, in addition to glial alterations. The respiratory abnormalities are related to a reduction in the number of noradrenergic neurons of the Locus Coeruleus, orexinergic signaling and an increase in oxidative stress. Therefore, the objective of this project is to perform different pharmacological treatments aimed at facilitating noradrenergic signaling (imipramine: an antidepressant that acts as a noradreanaline and serotonin reuptake inhibitor), orexinergic signaling (URB597: endocannabinoid hydrolysis inhibitor) and reducing oxidative stress (caffeine: a non-selective antagonist of adenosine receptors) and to observe the respiratory and neuroanatomical abnormalities in animals submitted to the model of PD. These alterations include an attenuation of the ventilatory responses to hypercapnia associated with an astrocytic reduction and an increase in microgliga in the retrotrapezoide nucleus, a reduction of orexinergic signaling and an increase in oxidative stress. Moreover, it is observed a neurodegeneration of the retrotrapezoid nucleus and of the substantia nigra. The results of this project can contribute to the development of new therapies for the respiratory symptoms of PD. In addition, it contributes to the understanding of the neural substrate of these symptoms. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BATISTA, LUARA A.; CABRAL, LAIS M.; MOREIRA, THIAGO S.; TAKAKURA, ANA C.. nhibition of anandamide hydrolysis does not rescue respiratory abnormalities observed in an animal model of Parkinson's diseas. Experimental Physiology, v. 107, n. 2, DEC 2021. (19/01236-4, 17/18074-1, 15/23376-1)