Systemic inflammation triggers long-lasting neuroinflammation and accelerates neurodegeneration in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease overexpressing human α-synuclein

Output Details

Parkinson’s disease (PD) involves genetic and environmental risk factors. Increasing research efforts have been made to understand how they interact to impair homeostasis and elevate risk. Inflammation could be one unifying factor. In this study, wild-type (WT) and overexpressing human α-synuclein (Snca+/+) rats were intraperitoneally injected with a single dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or with saline (SAL). In these animals we assessed the development of PD-like symptoms by immunohistology, high-dimensional flow cytometry, electrophysiology, and behavioral analyses. A single injection of LPS to both WT and Snca+/+ rats triggered long-lasting increased activation of pro-inflammatory microglial markers, infiltrating monocytes and T-lymphocytes. However, only LPS Snca+/+ rats displayed dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), associated with a reduction of evoked dopamine release in the striatum. No significant changes were observed in the behavioral domain.

Meet the Authors

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    Mariangela Massaro, MSc

    Key Personnel: Team Vila

    Fondazione Santa Lucia

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    Marta Tiberi

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    Emmanuela Paldino

  • Sebastian Luca D’Addario, PhD

    Key Personnel: Team Vila

    Fondazione Santa Lucia

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    Mauro Federici

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    Cecilia Giacomet, MSc

    Key Personnel: Team Vila

    Policlinico Tor Vergata

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    Debora Cutuli

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    Alessandro Matteocci

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    Francesca Cossa, PhD

    Key Personnel: Team Vila

    Fondazione Santa Lucia

  • Beatrice Zarrilli, MSc

    Key Personnel: Team Vila

    Fondazione Santa Lucia

  • Ada Ledonne, PhD

    Key Personnel: Team Vila

    Fondazione Santa Lucia

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    Laura Petrosini

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    Nicola Berretta, PhD

    Collaborating PI: Team Vila

    Fondazione Santa Lucia

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    Francesca Romana Fusco

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    Valerio Chiurchiù

  • Nicola Mercuri, MD, PhD

    Co-PI (Core Leadership): Team Vila

    University of Rome Tor Vergata, Fondazione Santa Lucia