MPTP-induced Parkinsonism in genetically modified mice

Abstract

The use of experimental animal models to understand human diseases and the potential treatments has been extremely valuable and has led to many significant advances in medicine. In contrast to isolated in vitro models, the use of animals as a model system has proven to be more productive for studying of multi-factorial diseases or diseases that affect several human systems. This method is particularly relevant for the use of animal models to understand the pathophysiology of central nervous system disorders such as meningitis, multiple sclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders. Parkinson’s disease (PD), a chronic progressive illness, caused by a lack of dopamine (DA) in the striatum due to the death of DAergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN), is one of the neurodegenerative key disorders. Nowadays, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is a widely used compound to reproduce the main characteristics of PD in animals, which include motor disorders, progressive loss of DA-neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the formation of Lewy bodies. In this review, we observe MPTP-treated popular mouse models for the PD studying in order to systematize the existing scientific experience, as well as to promote the development of parkinsonian syndrome modeling.