Aging enhances the neuroinflammatory response and α-synuclein nitration in rats

The Lewy body is a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease It has been revealed that the Lewy body contains nitrated alpha-synuclein which is prone to oligomerization We tested the hypothesis that aging may enhance nitration of alpha-synuclein due loan exaggerated neuroinflammatory reaction such as an excessive induction of the inducible nitric oxide synthase. which occurs post-intrapallidal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection Here, we show microglia activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression are more evident in the substantia nigra of elderly rats following intrapallidal LPS In addition, greater nitration of proteins like alpha-synuclein occurs in the substantia nigra of 16-month-old rats versus 3-month-old rats, which is accompanied by a higher expression level of inducible nitric oxide synthase. These results imply that an exaggerated neuroinflammatory response that occurs with aging might be involved in the increase in prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved