Publications by authors named "Herman Aishi Mbesha"
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that targets the nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DAnergic) system residing in the human midbrain and is currently incurable. The aim of this study is to investigate the neuroprotective effects of ascorbic acid, vanillic acid, and ferulic acid in a zebrafish model of PD induced by MPTP by assessing the impact of these compounds on DAnergic neurons, focusing on gene expression, mitochondrial dynamics, and cellular stress responses. Following exposure and qPCR and immunohistochemical analyses, ascorbic acid enhanced DAnergic function, indicated by an upregulation of the dopamine transporter () gene and increased eGFP+ DAnergic cells, suggesting improved dopamine reuptake and neuroprotection.
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- Dysfunction in dopamine levels contributes to various psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, with the NR4A2 protein linked to conditions like Parkinson's disease and ADHD.
- Researchers used zebrafish mutants to investigate the roles of two nr4a2 paralogs, nr4a2a and nr4a2b, finding distinct effects on dopamine neuron health and behavioral traits related to these conditions.
- The loss of nr4a2a function mirrored Parkinsonian symptoms, while nr4a2b mutants had increased neurotrophic factors but also showed signs of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress.