Erythrocyte membrane in the evaluation of neurodegenerative disorders

Neurodegenerative diseases have many similar pathological conditions, and very few studies exist which detail their molecular features. Proteins like Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase (NKA), α-spectrin (SPTA) and drebrin have been reported to be involved in the integrity of neuronal cell membrane and their functions. Furthermore, recent studies have highlighted their implication in neurodegeneration. In the current study, we wanted to identify the role of NKA, SPTA and drebrin in the erythrocyte membranes obtained from the blood of patients with neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) subjected to motor impairment such as Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ataxia and dementia. We have studied the activity of NKA and the expression of NKA, SPTA and drebrin in the erythrocyte membrane by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot obtained from the blood samples of patients with NDs culminating in movement and memory dysfunction. We observed a significant reduction in the expressions of NKA, SPTA and drebrin when compared to control and significant variations among the recruited ND samples. On correlating, we found a significant relationship between the expressions and the clinical features such as bradykinesia. Thus, we suggest that the reduction in the expressions of NKA, SPTA and drebrin could function as tools of assessment and speculate the particular neurodegenerative condition.