Currently, the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is not entirely clear, but it has been generally considered to be the result of interactions among various genetic and environmental factors. Ting Zou and coworkers from Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China previously found that Parkin mutation causes Parkin-associated endothelin receptor-like receptor (Pael-R) protein deposition, and the associated cytotoxicity leads to dopaminergic neuronal apoptosis. These researchers speculated that the Pael-R gene is possibly involved in the action of rotenone on cells. Therefore, they investigated the role of the Pael-R gene in rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease model cells using RNA interference. IN their recent study, Pael-R expression was decreased after RNA interference compared with the control group (no treatment) and the model group (rotenone treatment), while the rate of apoptosis and survival of dopaminergic cells did not differ significantly between groups. Experimental findings, published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 9, No. 4, 2014), indicate that the Pael-R gene has no role in the changes in rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease model cells.
In the RNA interference group, some cells showed nuclear condensation and division detected by Hoechst 33258 staining.
(Photo Credit: Neural Regeneration Research)
Source: Neural Regeneration Research