BACKGROUND： Deep-brain stimulation has proven to be beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson＇s disease （PD） patients. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of high-frequency stimulation （HFS） to the subthalamic...BACKGROUND： Deep-brain stimulation has proven to be beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson＇s disease （PD） patients. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of high-frequency stimulation （HFS） to the subthalamic nucleus （STN） on neuronal apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression in the substantia nigra pars compacta, and to analyze the neuroprotective effect of HFS-STN. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： Neuronal morphology experiments were performed in the Beijing Neurosurgical Institute from May to December in 2005. MATERIALS： Forty healthy, adult, Sprague Dawley rats were used to establish a PD model with a unilateral microinjection of 6-hydroxydopamine into two target areas of the right medial forebrain bundle. 6-hydroxydopamine was purchased from Sigma （USA）; high-frequency electrical stimulator was produced by World Precision Instruments （USA）; Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） kit was a product of Nanjing Jiancheng Technology Co., Ltd. （China）; and Bcl-2 and Bax protein assay kit were purchased from Wuhan Boster Bioengineering Co., Ltd. （China）. METHODS： Forty rats were randomly divided into three groups. The stimulation group （n = 15） received HFS-STN on the day of PD modeling. The PD model group （n = 15） was used to establish the PD model. The control group （n = 10） was injected with normal saline containing 0.2 g/L ascorbic acid into two areas of the right medial forebrain bundle. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Survival of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta was determined using Nissl staining. Apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons was detected using TUNEL techniques. Expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, and pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, were assayed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS： Following 6-hydroxydopamine injection, the number of substantia nigra pars compacta neurons was reduced in the stimulation and PD model groups, compared to the control group. At 2 and 4 weeks post-surgery, the grey value of Nissl stained images was significantly less in the PD model and stimulation groups （P 〈 0.05）, and the stimulation group exhibited greater grey values compared to the model group （P 〈 0.05）. At 2 and 4 weeks post-surgery, the number of apoptotic neurons was significantly less in the stimulation group compared to the model group （P 〈 0.05）. In addition, Bcl-2 and Bax expression, as well as the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, was much higher in the stimulation group compared to the model group （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： HFS-STN has a neuroprotective effect on dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta of PD rats by promoting Bcl-2 expression, inhibiting Bax expression, and reducing the number of apoptotic dopaminergic neurons.展开更多
基金Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China, No. 20070420399
文摘BACKGROUND： Deep-brain stimulation has proven to be beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson＇s disease （PD） patients. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of high-frequency stimulation （HFS） to the subthalamic nucleus （STN） on neuronal apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression in the substantia nigra pars compacta, and to analyze the neuroprotective effect of HFS-STN. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： Neuronal morphology experiments were performed in the Beijing Neurosurgical Institute from May to December in 2005. MATERIALS： Forty healthy, adult, Sprague Dawley rats were used to establish a PD model with a unilateral microinjection of 6-hydroxydopamine into two target areas of the right medial forebrain bundle. 6-hydroxydopamine was purchased from Sigma （USA）; high-frequency electrical stimulator was produced by World Precision Instruments （USA）; Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） kit was a product of Nanjing Jiancheng Technology Co., Ltd. （China）; and Bcl-2 and Bax protein assay kit were purchased from Wuhan Boster Bioengineering Co., Ltd. （China）. METHODS： Forty rats were randomly divided into three groups. The stimulation group （n = 15） received HFS-STN on the day of PD modeling. The PD model group （n = 15） was used to establish the PD model. The control group （n = 10） was injected with normal saline containing 0.2 g/L ascorbic acid into two areas of the right medial forebrain bundle. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Survival of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta was determined using Nissl staining. Apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons was detected using TUNEL techniques. Expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, and pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, were assayed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS： Following 6-hydroxydopamine injection, the number of substantia nigra pars compacta neurons was reduced in the stimulation and PD model groups, compared to the control group. At 2 and 4 weeks post-surgery, the grey value of Nissl stained images was significantly less in the PD model and stimulation groups （P 〈 0.05）, and the stimulation group exhibited greater grey values compared to the model group （P 〈 0.05）. At 2 and 4 weeks post-surgery, the number of apoptotic neurons was significantly less in the stimulation group compared to the model group （P 〈 0.05）. In addition, Bcl-2 and Bax expression, as well as the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, was much higher in the stimulation group compared to the model group （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： HFS-STN has a neuroprotective effect on dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta of PD rats by promoting Bcl-2 expression, inhibiting Bax expression, and reducing the number of apoptotic dopaminergic neurons.
