Original Article
Dopamine Agonists Exert Nurr1‑inducing Effect in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Parkinson's Disease Li‑Min Zhang1, Cong‑Cong Sun1,2, Ming‑Shu Mo1, Luan Cen1, Lei Wei1,3, Fei‑Fei Luo1,4, Yi Li1,5, Guo‑Fei Li6, Si‑Yun Zhang1,7, Li Yi7, Wei Huang8, Zhuo‑Lin Liu1, Wei‑Dong Le9,10, Ping‑Yi Xu1,11 Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China 2 Department of Neurology, Qilu Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China 3 Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China 4 Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu, Chongqing Medical University/The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China 5 Department of Neurology, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China 6 Department of Neurology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 470080, China 7 Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Hospital of Beijing University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, China 8 Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 360006, China 9 Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China 10 Center for Translational Research of Neurology Disease, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116011, China 11 Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong 510120, China 1
Abstract Background: Nurr1 plays an essential role in the development, survival, and function maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons, and it is a potential target for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Nurr1 mRNA can be detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), but whether there is any association of altered Nurr1 expression in PBMC with the disease and DA drug treatments remains elusive. This study aimed to measure the Nurr1 mRNA level in PBMC and evaluate the effect of Nurr1 expression by DA agents in vivo and in vitro. Methods: The mRNA levels of Nurr1 in PBMC of four subgroups of 362 PD patients and 193 healthy controls (HCs) using real‑time polymerase chain reaction were measured. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U‑test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed to evaluate the differences between PD and HC, as well as the subgroups of PD. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent association of Nurr1 expression with Hoehn and Yahr scale, age, and drug treatments. Besides, the Nurr1 expression in cultured PBMC was measured to determine whether DA agonist pramipexole affects its mRNA level. Results: The relative Nurr1 mRNA levels in DA agonists treated subgroup were significant higher than those in recent‑onset cases without any anti‑PD treatments (de novo) (P
Dopamine Agonists Exert Nurr1‑inducing Effect in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Parkinson's Disease Li‑Min Zhang1, Cong‑Cong Sun1,2, Ming‑Shu Mo1, Luan Cen1, Lei Wei1,3, Fei‑Fei Luo1,4, Yi Li1,5, Guo‑Fei Li6, Si‑Yun Zhang1,7, Li Yi7, Wei Huang8, Zhuo‑Lin Liu1, Wei‑Dong Le9,10, Ping‑Yi Xu1,11 Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China 2 Department of Neurology, Qilu Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250001, China 3 Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China 4 Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu, Chongqing Medical University/The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China 5 Department of Neurology, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China 6 Department of Neurology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 470080, China 7 Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Hospital of Beijing University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, China 8 Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 360006, China 9 Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China 10 Center for Translational Research of Neurology Disease, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116011, China 11 Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong 510120, China 1
Abstract Background: Nurr1 plays an essential role in the development, survival, and function maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons, and it is a potential target for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Nurr1 mRNA can be detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), but whether there is any association of altered Nurr1 expression in PBMC with the disease and DA drug treatments remains elusive. This study aimed to measure the Nurr1 mRNA level in PBMC and evaluate the effect of Nurr1 expression by DA agents in vivo and in vitro. Methods: The mRNA levels of Nurr1 in PBMC of four subgroups of 362 PD patients and 193 healthy controls (HCs) using real‑time polymerase chain reaction were measured. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U‑test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed to evaluate the differences between PD and HC, as well as the subgroups of PD. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent association of Nurr1 expression with Hoehn and Yahr scale, age, and drug treatments. Besides, the Nurr1 expression in cultured PBMC was measured to determine whether DA agonist pramipexole affects its mRNA level. Results: The relative Nurr1 mRNA levels in DA agonists treated subgroup were significant higher than those in recent‑onset cases without any anti‑PD treatments (de novo) (P
