Selective Activation Of Group Ⅱ Or Ⅲ MGluRs Expressed In Astrocytes Exerted Neuroprotective Effects On Primary Cultured Midbrain Neurons

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by disabling motor impairments such as tremor, rigidity and and bradykinesia. The primary pathological change that gives rise to the symptoms of PD is the loss of dopaminergic neurons in subsantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) that project to the striatum to regulate activity through the direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia. Clinical treatment of PD includes dopamine replacement such as L-DOPA and D₂ dopamine receptor agonist. Unfortunately, dopamine replacement therapy ultimately fails in most patients owing to loss of efficacy in the disease progress. Consequently, considerable amounts of efforts have focused on developing novel targets for the protection of dopaminergic neurons. Although the neurodegenerative mechanisms of PD have not yet been elucidated, evidence suggests that altered astroglial function may contribute to the initiation or progression of the neurodegerative process. Pharmacological modulation of astroglial activation might provide a novel therapeutic strategy against neuronal damage.Astrocytes are the most numerous glial cell type in the central nervous system (CNS) and perform a wide range of adaptive function in the CNS for the homeostatic control of the neuronal extracellular environment. Accordingly, astrocyte function can critically influence neuronal survival. Glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS, acting on glutamate...