Toll Like Receptor 4 Affects the Cerebral Biochemical Changes Induced by MPTP Treatment

The etiology and pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) are still unclear. However, multiple lines of evidence suggest a critical role of the toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) in inflammatory response and neuronal death. Neuroinflammation may be associated with the misfolding and aggregation of proteins accompanied by a change in their secondary structure. Recent findings also suggest that biochemical perturbations in cerebral lipid content could contribute to the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including PD. Thus, it is of great importance to determine the biochemical changes that occur in PD. In this respect, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy represents a useful tool to detect molecular alterations in biological systems in response to stress stimuli. By relying upon FTIR approach, this study was designed to elucidate the potential role of TLR4 in biochemical changes induced by methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) neurotoxin in a mouse model of PD. The analysis of the FTIR spectra was performed in different brain regions of both wild type (WT) and toll like receptor 4-deficient (TLR4^-/-) mice. It revealed that each brain region exhibited a characteristic molecular fingerprint at baseline, with no significant differences between genotypes. Conversely, WT and TLR4^-/- mice showed differential biochemical response to MPTP toxicity, principally related to lipid and protein composition. These differences appeared to be characteristic for each brain area. Furthermore, the present study showed that WT mice resulted more vulnerable than TLR4^-/- animals to striatal dopamine (DA) depletion following MPTP treatment. These results support the hypothesis of a possible involvement of TLR4 in biochemical changes occurring in neurodegeneration.