COEXISTENCE OF PEPTIDES AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS

我们目前正在分析钙视网膜蛋白（CR）的共存， 结合蛋白和酪氨酸羟化酶（TH），限速酶 在猴移行质（SN）中合成多巴胺， 腹侧被盖区（VTA）。 硫堇染色切片已被用于 来创建猴子SN区域的图谱。 在邻近 硫堇染色的材料，我们使用双标记免疫荧光， 区分三种不同的细胞类型;仅CR免疫反应性细胞 (CR+）、仅对TH免疫反应的细胞（TH+）和其中两者均 蛋白质被定位（CRTH）。 单方面注射MPTP 显示在黑质中产生严重的TH细胞损失， 注射侧（在大多数情况下下降70%），并被认为提供了一个 精确的帕金森病动物模型。 的初步结果 用单侧注射MPTP（4 mg/kg，右）处理的一只猴 颈动脉）检查前两年半， 未受影响的黑质中有相当大一部分（20-30%）细胞 致密部含有共存的细胞。 相比之下，大约50-60% 在病变侧的剩余VTA和SN细胞中， proteins. 仅TH细胞的总数显著减少， 果然 有两种可能性可以解释这一数据： 那些在损伤后保留下来的细胞在损伤前就含有这两种蛋白质。 或CR生产诱导在一个显着的一部分， 剩下的TH免疫反应细胞。 因此，CR可能 保护大量SN/VTA细胞免受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.