Pathology and impact of the locus ceruleus in Parkinson’s disease

doi:10.3969/j.issn.0529-1356.2014.02.028

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the brain characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Recently, however, it has been shown that noradrenergic cells from the locus coeruleus (LC) also degenerate prior to the SNc. Animal studies have disclosed that the electrophysiology and transmitter metabolism of DA neurons as well as its sensitivity to injury factors were abnormal due to LC lesion. The mechanism maybe lies in the function of LC which can accommodate of transmitter in DA neurons, absorb toxic substance and excrete nutrition factors to the SNc area influencing neurons and/or glial cells, leading to promotion of onset of PD. In this article, we reviewed the pathology of the LC in PD patients, the relation between the LC and SNc in laboratory researches on PD animal models, and the protective mechanism of LC to the SNc, intending to help further studies on PD pathogenesis.

YAO Ning XU Qun-yuan*. Pathology and impact of the locus ceruleus in Parkinson’s disease[J]. AAS, 2014, (2): 291-296.

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