FN075 did not precipitate nigrostriatal neurodegeneration in the AAV-α-synuclein model
A central aspect of Parkinson’s disease neuropathology is the degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons. Therefore, we endeavoured to ascertain whether rats exhibiting pathological α-synuclein expression displayed neurodegeneration. Despite a significant increase in pathological pS129 and fibrillar α-synuclein in the substantia nigra within groups administered AAV-α-synuclein, there was no explicit loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Neither, tyrosine hydroxylase immunopositive cell counts in the substantial nigra nor terminals in the striatum were affected AAV-α-synuclein or FN075, alone or in combination (Fig. 5; Substantia nigra: Group,F(3,35) =1.25, p > 0.05; Striatum: Group, F(3,36) =0.76, p> 0.05).