Experimental research for the surgical target in Parkinson's disease

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K10360
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurosurgery
• Research Institution: Doshisha University (2018); Dokkyo Medical University (2016-2017); Kyoto University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: Matsuda Wakoto 同志社大学, 研究開発推進機構, 嘱託研究員 (80444446)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 藤山 文乃 同志社大学, 脳科学研究科, 教授 (20244022) ; 薗村 貴弘 朝日大学, 歯学部, 准教授 (40347092) ; 高野 晋吾 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 教授 (50292553) ; 本間 智 金沢医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (40285581)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: パーキンソン病 / 大脳基底核 / ウイルスベクター / 臨床解剖 / ドーパミン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain mediate a variety of brain functions, such as motor control, emotion, and reward. We studied the axonal arborization of ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons with Sindbis virus vectors that coded membrane-targeted green fluorescent protein (GFP). After the reconstruction of projection axons, some neurons in VTA were observed to project their axons to the limbic cortices. The other neurons sent axons to the olfactory tubercle, accumbens nucleus, and/or caudate-putamen. Many of these neurons were observed to form relatively high-dense bushes in their terminal fields with ambiguous varicosities. Detail morphological images of neurons derived from this new approach are used to elucidate the role of the neurons in the basal ganglia. These results would also contribute to understanding the clinicopathology of Parkinson’s disease and related syndromes.

Free Research Field

神経解剖学、臨床解剖学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

中脳ドーパミン系は、パーキンソン病、統合失調症などの疾患あるいは報酬行動・強化学習などに関与するとされる広域投射型モノアミン神経系の一つである。この新規手法によって見出された詳細な細胞形態は大脳基底核における神経細胞の役割を明らかにするとともに、パーキンソン病と関連疾患の臨床病理への理解を深めることに貢献するものと考えられる。