New mouse model may hold clue to Parkinson's

21 January 2010

The first mouse model that suggests how Parkinson's might spread in the brain has been developed by researchers from Dresden and Cambridge universities, in research co-funded by the Parkinson's Disease Society.

In the study, published in the online journal PLoS ONE this week, mice were fed very low daily doses of the pesticide rotenone.

Previous research has suggested that people who are exposed to pesticides for long periods are at a slightly increased risk of developing Parkinson's.

What the researchers did

Researchers tested the ability of the mice who were given the pesticide rotenone to walk across a revolving beam.

Mice receiving rotenone fell off faster than untreated mice, suggesting that the rotenone was in some way affecting their balance and mobility.

After 3 months, the researchers looked carefully at the nerve cells of both the rotenone-treated mice and the control mice.

They saw an increase in the protein alpha-synuclein inside the nerve cells of the gut, spinal cord, and in the part of the brain which is worst affected in Parkinson's.

Why is alpha-synuclein important?

Alpha-synuclein is thought to be a major factor in Parkinson's, as the nerve cells that die in the brain in Parkinson's become clogged with sticky clumps of this protein.

Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini, one of the researchers involved from Cambridge University, said:

"Although we gave such tiny doses of rotenone that we couldn't detect it in the blood or brain, we could still see major differences inside mouse nerve cells.

"Interestingly, although cells in the gut and spinal cord were also affected, nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra were worst hit and began to die.

"This suggests that this group of nerve cells are particularly vulnerable to the build-up of alpha synuclein."

Environmental factors and Parkinson's

Dr Kieran Breen, our Director of Research and Development, comments:

"This new mouse model will tell us more about how Parkinson's develops and spreads throughout the nervous system.

"This new research also suggests that environmental factors like pesticides could indeed trigger Parkinson's in some people.

"Refining new animal models is key to understanding Parkinson's, and will be vital in our search for new ways to test drugs that will lead to better treatments and ultimately to a cure."

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