Department of Pathophysiology, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Czysta 18, PL 31-121 Kraków, Poland.
Pharmacol Rep. 2012;64(6):1359-67. doi: 10.1016/s1734-1140(12)70933-7.
Recent clinical studies have shown that the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve is one of the brain areas that are the earliest affected by α-synuclein and Lewy body pathology in Parkinson's disease. This observation raises the question: how the vagus nerve dysfunction affects the dopamine system in the brain?
The rats underwent surgical implantation of the microchip (MC) in the abdominal region of the vagus. In this study, we examined the effect of chronic, unilateral electrical stimulation of the left nerve vagus, of two different types: low-frequency (MCL) and physiological stimulation (MCPh) on the dopamine and serotonin metabolism determined by high-pressure chromatography with electrochemical detection in rat brain structures.
MCL electrical stimulation of the left nerve vagus in contrast to MCPh stimulation, produced a significant inhibition of dopamine system in rat brain structures. Ex vivo biochemical experiments clearly suggest that MCL opposite to MCPh impaired the function of dopamine system similarly to vagotomy.
We suggest a close relationship between the peripheral vagus nerve impairment and the inhibition of dopamine system in the brain structures. This is the first report of such relationship which may suggest that mental changes (pro-depressive) could occur in the first stage of Parkinson's disease far ahead of motor impairment.
最近的临床研究表明，迷走神经背核是帕金森病中最早受到α-突触核蛋白和路易体病理学影响的大脑区域之一。这一观察结果提出了一个问题：迷走神经功能障碍如何影响大脑中的多巴胺系统？
大鼠接受了微芯片（MC）在迷走神经腹部区域的手术植入。在这项研究中，我们研究了慢性、单侧左迷走神经电刺激的两种不同类型（MCL 和 MCPh）对大鼠脑结构中多巴胺和 5-羟色胺代谢的影响，使用高压液相色谱电化学检测法进行检测。
与 MCPh 刺激相比，左迷走神经 MCL 电刺激产生了大鼠脑结构中多巴胺系统的显著抑制。离体生化实验清楚地表明，MCL 与 MCPh 相反，损害了多巴胺系统的功能，类似于迷走神经切断术。
我们认为外周迷走神经损伤与大脑结构中多巴胺系统的抑制之间存在密切关系。这是首次报道这种关系，它可能表明精神变化（抑郁前）可能在帕金森病的早期阶段，远早于运动障碍出现。
