Inoculation of α-synuclein preformed fibrils into the mouse gastrointestinal tract induces Lewy body-like aggregates in the brainstem via the vagus nerve.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Intraneuronal α-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates known as Lewy bodies (LBs) and the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) are the pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD). Braak's hypothesis based on autopsy studies suggests that Lewy pathology initially occurs in the enteric nervous system (ENS) and then travels retrogradely to the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (dmX), proceeding from there in a caudo-rostral direction. Recent evidence that α-Syn aggregates propagate between interconnected neurons supports this hypothesis. However, there is no direct evidence demonstrating this transmission from the ENS to the dmX and then to the SNpc. METHODS:We inoculated α-Syn preformed fibrils (PFFs) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) into

SUBMITTER: Uemura N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5948849 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature