Motor and Non-Motor Effects of Acute MPTP in Adult Zebrafish: Insights into Parkinson’s Disease
View/Open
Author
Other authors
Publication date
2025-02-02ISSN
1422-0067
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to motor and non-motor symptoms. The neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) has been extensively used in different animal species to develop chemical models of PD. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of acute exposure to MPTP (3 × 150 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) on adult zebrafish by assessing the neurochemical, transcriptional, and motor changes associated with PD pathogenesis. MPTP treatment resulted in a significant decrease in brain catecholamines, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and normetanephrine. Additionally, a trend towards decreased levels of dopamine precursors (tyrosine and L-DOPA) and degradation products (3-MT and DOPAC) was also observed, although these changes were not statistically significant. Gene expression analysis showed the downregulation of dbh, while the expression of other genes involved in catecholamine metabolism (th1, th2, mao, comtb) and transport (slc6a3 and slc18a2) remained unaltered, suggesting a lack of dopaminergic neuron degeneration. Behavioral assessments revealed that MPTP-exposed zebrafish exhibited reduced motor activity, consistent with the observed decrease in dopamine levels. In contrast, the kinematic parameters of sharp turning were unaffected. A significant impairment in the sensorimotor gating of the ASR was detected in the MPTP-treated fish, consistent with psychosis. Despite dopamine depletion and behavioral impairments, the absence of neurodegeneration and some hallmark PD motor symptoms suggests limitations in the validity of this model for fully recapitulating PD pathology. Further studies are needed to refine the use of MPTP in zebrafish PD models.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
616.8 - Neurology. Neuropathology. Nervous system
Keywords
1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine
MPTP
Parkinson’s disease
Prepulse inhibition
Psychosis
Turning difficulties
Hypokinesia
Adult zebrafish
Peix zebra
Parkinson, Malaltia de
Psicosi
Hipocinèsia
Pages
p.14
Publisher
MDPI
Is part of
International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2025, 26(4)
Grant agreement number
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/Horizon Europe/101057014
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MCIU/PN I+D/PID2023–148502OB-C21
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MCIU/PN I+D/PID2023–148502OB-C22
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MCIU/PN I+D/CEX2018-000794-S
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
Rights
© L'autor/a
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/