Differentiation of adult human mesenchymal stem cells into dopaminergic neurons.

The striatal dopamine (DA) deficiency is known as the main cause of the clinical picture of Parkinson's disease (PD). The disease is a progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the striatum. The treatment of PD is based on compensation for the brain's supply of DA lost by drug therapy, deep brain stimulation, surgery, gene and cell therapies.

Nerve growth factor receptors in dementia.

Background/aim: Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes the survival and differentiation of sensory and sympathetic neurons. Several studies have found that certain neuropathological factors stimulate NGF receptor expression and release the truncated nerve growth factor receptor (TNGFR) to biological fluids. The aim of this pilot study was to determine urine TNGFR levels in patients with dementia and to verify whether TNGFR can be used as a biomarker of dementia.

Age related interaction of dopamine and serotonin synthesis in striatal synaptosomes.

Tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase are key rate limiting enzymes in the biosynthesis of dopamine and serotonin, respectively. Since both enzymes are active in striatum, and affected by age, this study was undertaken to investigate interaction between dopamine and serotonin synthesis in brain striatal synaptosomes of aging rat. Male Wistar rats (3 and 30 month old) were killed by decapitation and brain striatal synaptosomes were prepared by discontinuous Ficoll/sucrose gradient technique.