Apolipoprotein D expression in substantia nigra of Parkinson disease

Apolipoprotein D (apo D), a lipocalin transporter of small hydrophobic molecules could play an important role in several neurodegenerative diseases. However, its role in those diseases remains unclear. Increments of apo D have been reported in relation with injury and degeneration in the nervous system. Recently increases of apo D level have been reported in schizophrenia, a neuropathologic disease where the oxidative stress and lipid abnormalities may be involved. Apo D could act as a sequestering molecule binding excess of arachidonic acid in cells. In order to determine the relationship between apo D expression and other neurodegenerative pathologies related to oxidative damage, we studied the presence of apo D in the substantia nigra of control and Parkinson disease (PD) subjects. We found dopaminergic neurons were not immunoreactive for apo D, control or PD subjects. However, surrounding glial cells showed immunostaining for apo D and signal increases in PD cases. These findings support the role of apolipoprotein D in neuroprotection and the importance of glia in the amount of this protein in the central nervous system.