Investigation on synucleinopathy and epigenetic mechanisms in the brains of methamphetamine abusers

这项研究表明，除了多巴胺能终末标记物缺陷和胶质反应外，甲基苯丙胺滥用者大脑中的甲基苯丙胺神经毒性包括氧化应激也会导致联核症。此外，我们还证明在甲基苯丙胺滥用者中发现了脑源性神经递质因子(BDNF)及其参与表观遗传学的转录因子甲基CpG结合蛋白2(MeCP2)。从法医病理学的角度，检测涉及MeCP2和BDNF表达的联核病和表观遗传学机制可能有助于研究人类甲基苯丙胺滥用者神经毒性和药物依赖的机制。

This study suggests that, in addition to dopaminergic terminal marker deficits and glial reactions, synucleinopathy is induced by methamphetamine neurotoxicity including oxidative stress in the brains of methamphetamine abusers. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that brain-derived neurotorophic factor (BDNF) and methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a transcription factor of BDNF, that is involved in epigenetics, are found in methamphetamine abusers. In the point of view of forensic pathology, detection of synucleinopathy and epigenetic mechanisms involving MeCP2 and BDNF expression could be useful to investigate the mechanisms involved in neurotoxicity and drug dependence of human methamphetamine abusers.