Coordinated regulation of the adult neurogenic subventricular zone (SVZ) is accomplished by a myriad of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The neurotransmitter dopamine is one regulatory molecule implicated in SVZ function. Nigrostriatal and ventral tegmental area (VTA) midbrain dopamine neurons innervate regions adjacent to the SVZ, and dopamine synapses are found on SVZ cells. Cell division wit...

The proliferative activity of neural precursors from the subventricular zone (SVZ) was investigated after a unilateral lesion was formed in the nigrostriatal pathway in adult rats. The lesion was formed by unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the nigrostriatal pathway, and then bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was injected (ip) for 4 days or 2 weeks 10 days after the lesion was forme...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the dysfunction of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. Although its etiology is not yet fully understood, an interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental factors is frequently discussed. The neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) can evoke PD-like symptoms and neuropathological chang...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological movement disorder primarily resulting from damage to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. To elucidate the pathogenesis, mechanisms of cell death, and to evaluate therapeutic strategies for PD, numerous animal models have been developed. Understanding the strengths and limitations of these models can significantly impact the choice of model, experim...

Conventional neuroleptic drugs are thought to derive their antipsychotic efficacy through influences on the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system. In contrast, motor side effects of these drugs are suggested to follow from influences on the nigrostriatal DA system. This conceptualization is based on the assumption that behaviors mediated by the mesolimbic DA system are involved in schizophrenia while...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremor, rigidity and akinesia/bradykinesia resulting from the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. To date, only symptomatic treatment is available for PD patients, with no effective means of slowing or stopping the progression of the disease. Progranulin (PGRN) is a 593 amino acid multifunc...

Despite intensive research effort, no effective pharmacological therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been developed. However, with the development of efficient gene delivery systems, gene therapy for PD has become a focus of research, and increasing evidences suggest that continuous production of neurotrophic factors plays a significant role in the functional restoration of the nigrostri...

The electrophysiological and neurochemical characteristics of the nondopaminergic nigrostriatal (NO-DA) cells and their functional response to the degeneration of dopaminergic nigrostriatal (DA) cells were studied. Three different criteria were used to identify NO-DA cells: (1) antidromic response to striatal stimulation with an electrophysiological behavior (firing rate, interspike interval va...

The mesostriatal dopaminergic system, which comprises the mesolimbic and the nigrostriatal pathways, plays a major role in neural processing underlying motor and limbic functions. Multiple reports suggest that these processes are influenced by hemispheric differences in striatal dopamine (DA) levels, DA turnover and its receptor activity. Here, we review studies which measured the concentration...