Stimulation of retrotrapezoid nucleus Phox2b-expressing neurons rescues breathing dysfunction in an experimental Parkinson's disease rat model.

ABSTRACT: Emerging evidence from multiple studies indicates that Parkinson's disease (PD) patients suffer from a spectrum of autonomic and respiratory motor deficiencies in addition to the classical motor symptoms attributed to substantia nigra degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Animal models of PD show a decrease in the resting respiratory rate as well as a decrease in the number of Phox2b-expressing retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) neurons. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which substantia nigra pars compact (SNc) degeneration induced RTN biomolecular changes and to identify the extent to which RTN pharmacological or optogenetic stimulations rescue respiratory function following PD-induction. SNc degeneration was achieved in adult male Wistar rats by bilateral striatal 6-hydroxy

SUBMITTER: Fernandes-Junior SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8018024 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature