Page 54 - Q. Neuroscience

[Q. Neuroscience-32]

Alterations of intestinal neurotrophins in neurotoxin-induced

Parkinson’s disease mouse models

Jin Gyu Choi¹˙²˙³˙#, Ji-Hye Ahn¹˙²˙⁴˙#, Miran Jeong¹˙²˙³, Boh Rah Joo², Jeong-Hwa Woo², Dong-Hyun
Kim¹˙²˙³, Myung Sook Oh¹˙²˙³˙*, Jung-Hye Choi¹˙²˙³˙*

¹Neurobiota Research Center (NRC), Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, South Korea, ²College of Pharmacy,

Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, South Korea, ³Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung
Hee University, Seoul 02447, South Korea, ⁴College of Pharmacy, Woosuk University, Jeonbuk 55338, South Korea

In several neurological disorders, a change in the levels of several gut neuropeptides has been shown. However, to

the best of our knowledge, there is no report to demonstrate a remarkable change of intestinal neurotrophins in
Parkinson’s disease (PD) animal model. In this study, we aimed to investigate the levels of four neurotrophins in the

intestine of neurotoxin-induced PD mice. The PD mice were obtained by chronic injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-
1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) or MPTP/probenecid (MPTP/p). The levels of mRNA and protein expression in

mouse intestines were measured by using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western
blotting, respectively. We found that the mRNA expression of two neurotrophins (neurotrophin A and D) was

significantly decreased in the large intestine of MPTP group compared to the vehicle-treated group, but not in the
small intestine. The protein levels of neurotrophin A, but not neurotrophin D, were reduced in the colon of MPTP

or MPTP/p-treated mice compared to those of the vehicle-treated group. These data suggest that the intestinal
expression of neurotrophin A was significantly reduced in PD animal models, and may play a role in the gut-brain

axis in PD.