Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Gene-environment Interaction Models to Unmask Susceptibility Mechanisms in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: January 7, 2014
Elevated glial brain-derived neurotrophic factor in Parkinson's diseased nigra
C Knott1, G Stern, A Kingsbury
1Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK. c.knott@ic.ac.uk
Abstract:
We show the cellular distribution of immunoreactivity (IR) for brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and tyrosine kinase receptors TRKB and TRKC in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) and controls at post-mortem. In both groups, nigral neurons, astrocytes, ramified and amoeboid microglia expressed all antigens. Caudate-putamen neurons expressed all antigens except BDNF with similar distribution between groups. In IPD nigra, increased numbers of BDNF-IR and, less frequently, NT-3-IR ramified glia surrounded fragmented neurons, accompanied by BDNF-IR in surrounding neuropil. Amoeboid microglia were abundant only in IPD nigral scars. In IPD, glia might up-regulate neurotrophins in response to signals released from failing nigral neurons.
Related Concept Videos
Neural Regulation
Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology

