Evidence for oxidative stress in experimental prion disease

Neurobiol Dis. 2000 Aug;7(4):270-3. doi: 10.1006/nbdi.2000.0290.

Abstract

Oxidative stress has been shown to be important in several neurodegenerative disorders. Previous in vitro studies have already demonstrated the ability of a prion protein fragment to induce oxidative stress in cultured cells. By immunohistochemistry for nitrotyrosine (NT) and heme oxygenase-1 as markers for oxidative stress, we found widespread neuronal labeling for NT in scrapie-infected mouse brains, in agreement with peroxynitrite mediated neuronal degeneration. Damage by free radicals is a likely cause for neurodegeneration in prion disease, and antioxidants are a potential therapy of these disorders.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism*
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / metabolism
  • Heme Oxygenase-1
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Mice
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • Prion Diseases / metabolism*
  • Tyrosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Tyrosine / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
  • Membrane Proteins
  • 3-nitrotyrosine
  • Tyrosine
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)
  • Heme Oxygenase-1
  • Hmox1 protein, mouse