Blocking soluble TNF signaling attenuates loss of dopaminergic neurons in rat models of Parkinson's disease. (2006)
From the article:
In addition to its beneficial role, TNF has been a suspected player in Parkinson’s because elevated levels of it are found in post-mortem brains and cerebrospinal fluid of people with the disease. A previous study by other researchers found that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that block production of TNF and related molecules can reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s by 46 percent.
In the current study, UT Southwestern researchers injected two different substances into the rats' brains to cause cell death in the substantia nigra —low-dose infusion of LPS, a toxin from bacteria often used to mimic chronic inflammation of the central nervous system, and 6-hydroxydopamine, which kills cells by creating an overwhelming amount of reactive oxygen and nitrogen molecules. Cell death was measured by counting neurons in stained brain slices.
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When an experimental TNF inhibitor called XENP345, designed specifically to block soluble TNF, was also introduced into the brain, dopamine neuron death was reduced by about half.
The same effect was found on cultured dopamine neurons exposed to either toxin.