Parkinson Disease: from Pathophysiology to the Animal Models

Abstract

Introduction: Parkinson disease (PD) is a severe and progressive neurodegenerative disorder in the central nervous system. The most features of this disease are several parts-substantia nigra compacta cell-loss, and accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein in specific brain stem, spinal cord, and cortical regions. The main risk factors are age and environmental factors. Several genes have been identified for inheritance PD. Identification of these genes had been leaded to provide new solutions. Dopamine replacement therapy and commonly used drugs significantly reduce motor handicaps and had a positive effect on the quality of life improvement. Animal models are important in investigation of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of PD and therapeutic strategies. Conclusion: Despite numerous models to induce PD, MPTP and 6-OHDA models have been more frequently used. In this study, the most important factors involved in the pathophysiology of PD as well as the most current animal models, are described.