COEXISTENCE OF PEPTIDES AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS

我们目前正在分析钙视黄素(CR)的共存，一种钙 结合蛋白和限速酶酪氨酸羟基酶(TH) 在猴的迁移质(SN)中合成多巴胺和 腹侧被盖区(VTA)已经使用了硫胺素染色的切片 以创建猴子SN区域的地图集。在与 硫胺素染色材料，我们使用双标记免疫荧光技术 区分三种不同的细胞类型；仅对CR呈免疫反应的细胞 (cr+)，仅TH免疫阳性的细胞(TH+)，以及 蛋白质定位(CRTH)。单侧注射MPTP已被 显示在黑质中产生严重的TH细胞损失。 注入侧(大多数情况下下降70%)，并被认为提供了 帕金森氏病的准确动物模型。初步结果来自 一只猴子单侧注射MPTP(4 mg/kg，右 颈动脉)检查前两年半发现 未受影响的黑质中有相当一部分(20-30%)的细胞 Compacta含有共定位的细胞。相比之下，大约50%-60% 损伤侧剩余的VTA和SN细胞同时包含 蛋白质。TH-Only细胞总数显著减少， 不出所料。有两种可能性可以解释这些数据： 损伤后残留的细胞含有这两种蛋白质 在很大程度上诱导了病变或CR的产生 剩余的TH免疫反应细胞。因此，似乎CR可以 保护众多SN/VTA细胞不受MPTP破坏。

We are currently analyzing the coexistence of calretinin (CR), a calcium binding protein, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine in the monkey substantia migra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Thionin-stained sections have been used to create an atlas of the monkey SN region. On sections adjacent to the thionin stained material, we used double-labelling immunofluorescence to distinguish three distinct cell types; cells immunoreactive for CR only (CR+), cells immunoreactive for TH only (TH+) and cells in which both proteins were localized (CRTH). Unilateral injections of MPTP have been shown to produce a severe loss of TH cells in the substantia nigra on the injected side (down 70% in most cases), and is thought to provide an accurate animal model of Parkinson's disease. Preliminary results from one monkey treated with a unilateral injection of MPTP (4 mg/kg, right carotid artery) two and a half years prior to examination revealed a significant portion (20-30%) of cells in the unaffected substantia nigra compacta contained colocalized cells. In contrast, approximately 50-60% of the remaining VTA and SN cells on the lesioned side contained both proteins. The total number of TH only cells was significantly reduced, as expected. Two possibilities exist to explain this data: either those cells which remained after the lesion contained both proteins prior to the lesion or CR production was induced in a significant portion of the remaining TH immunoreactive cells. It thus appears that CR may protect numerous SN/VTA cells from destruction by MPTP.