Effects of nerve and fibroblast growth factors on the production of nitric oxide in experimental model of Huntington's disease.

Abstract

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in neurological diseases represents one of the most studied, yet controversial subjects in physiology. The aim was to examine the effects of intrastriatal injection neurotrophins (nerve growth factors-NGF, fibroblast growth factors-FGF) in order to investigate the possible involvement of NO in quinolinic acid (QA) induced striatal toxicity in the rat model of Huntington's disease (HD). QA was administered unilaterally into the striatum of adult Wistar rats in a single dose of 150 nM. The other two groups of animals were pretreated immediately before QA application with NGF and FGF, respectively. Control group was treated with 0.9% saline solution in the same manner. Animals were decapitated 7 days after the treatment. Nitrite levels were significantly decreased both in the ipsi- and contralateral striatum and forebrain cortex of NGF- and FGF-treated animals compared with QA treatment. These results indicated a temporal and spatial propagation of oxidative stress and spread protective effects of NGF and FGF on the forebrain cortex, the distant structure, but tightly connected with striatum, the place of direct neurotoxic damage. Neurotrophins could be the potential neuroprotective agents in HD.