Evidence of COMT dysfunction in the olfactory bulb in Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT: Hyposmia is one of the most prevalent non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and antecedes motor dysfunction by up to a decade. However, the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of dopamine metabolism in post-mortem olfactory bulbs from ten Parkinson's disease and ten neurologic control subjects. In contrast to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain, we observed an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the Parkinson's disease olfactory bulb, suggesting a potential role for dopamine in the hyposmia associated with the condition. Using immunohistochemistry, high-performance liquid chromatography, western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, we demonstrate a reduction in catechol-O-methyltransf

SUBMITTER: Beauchamp LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11872990 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature