Objective To observe the effects of different doses of protease inhibitors on rat behavior and the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and α-synuclein in the substantia nigra, and to explore the optimal conditions for a chronic model of PSI-induced Parkinson's disease in rats.
Methods Thirty SPF male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, 10 rats in each group. PSI was injected subcutaneously. The doses were 3 mg/kg for model group A and 6 mg/kg for model group B, respectively. The same method was used for the control group. Inject dimethyl sulfoxide solution at a dose of 3 mg/kg. After 2 weeks of injection on consecutive other days (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), the behavioral changes of PD rats were observed. At the same time, routine HE staining was performed to observe the changes of cells in the substantia nigra of the midbrain under a light microscope. Western blot and immunohistochemical staining The expression changes of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-syn in the substantia nigra of the substantia nigra in the brain of the rats in each group were detected by the method.
Results Compared with the control group, the exercise ability of the two groups of rats in the PSI model group decreased significantly. The behavior score of the model group A was lower than that of the model group B, and the behavior score of the suspension test was higher than that of the model group B (P<0.05). The results of HE staining showed that the substantia nigra cells in the model group were degenerated; the results of Western blot and immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of TH in the substantia nigra was significantly decreased and the expression of α-syn was significantly increased.
Conclusion The PSI rat model can replicate the behavioral and central and peripheral neurodegeneration characteristics of PD, and it is an effective model to study the pathogenesis of PD.