Induction of the Parkinson's Disease model by 6-ohda (6-hydroxydopamine) and behavioral analysis

• Grant number: 19/11448-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 15, 2019
• Effective date (End): December 14, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - General Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Catarina Raposo Dias Carneiro
• Grantee: Davi Felipe de Almeida
• Supervisor: Liana Melo-Thomas
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 17/19799-0 - Effects of sildenafil (Viagra, Pfizer) on the inflammatory profile of Parkinson's Disease, BP.IC

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects the Central Nervous System. It is an idiopathic degeneration and touches about 1% of the elderly population over the age of 60 worldwide. As the epidemiological profile of the population is changing, with a large increase in the number of elderly people, PD is also more common and research to understand the condition and develop therapies is increasing. For these studies, experimental models induced in rat or mice are very useful and well consolidated; however, different ways of inducing PD are still evaluated and compared, since none of them accurately reproduces the disease developed in humans. One of these models is induced by the herbicide rotenone (Rot), administered systemically in the animal and capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and inducing death of dopaminergic neurons; this model has been used by our group because it is relatively simple to induce and less toxic than other models. However, disadvantages are also observed, such as the reliance on a high dose of Rot for observation of clinical signs, leading to high mortality; the high probability of unknown systemic activity, leading to side effects not necessarily attributed to PD; the possible interaction of the herbicide with the drug studied (eg sildenafil - Viagra ®, Pfizer - in our research), among others. Considering these aspects, testing sildenafil in a second experimental model would help confirm and understand the results demonstrated in our research using the Rot model. The research group of Phillips-Marburg University, led by Professor Liana Melo-Thomas, has expertise in the PD model induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), which is developed by injecting the drug directly into the brain area impaired in PD, the Substantia nigra of Mesencephalon. The group also has extensive experience in physiological tests such as catalepsy and open field. Thus, this proposal aims to establish a mutual contribution between the Department of Psychology of the University of Philips Marburg and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). The student of UNICAMP will participate in the project: "Influence of the lower colliculus on motor deficits of parkinsonian rodents: behavioral and electrophysiological studies", funded by the German research promotion agency, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), and will be trained in stereotactic surgery, experimental induction of the 6-OHDA model, intracerebral electrical stimulation and behavioral analysis in Parkinsonian rats. As this line of study is beginning in our group, the student will introduce the 6-OHDA-model of parkinsonism and the behavioral tests, training the students and improving our research. (AU)