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AAV9-mediated erythropoietin gene delivery into the brain protects nigral dopaminergic neurons in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Gene Therapy volume 17, pages 83–94 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

We have recently shown that intrastriatal injection of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) protects dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) from 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) toxicity in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. However, systemic administration of EPO did not protect nigral DA neurons, suggesting that the blood–brain barrier limits the passage of EPO protein into the brain. In the present study, we used an adeno-associated viral (AAV) serotype 9 (AAV9) vector to deliver the human EPO gene into the brain of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. We observed that expression of the human EPO gene was robust and stable in the striatum and the SN for up to 10 weeks. EPO-immunoreactive (IR) cells were widespread throughout the injected striatum, and EPO-IR neurons and fibers were also found in the ipsilateral SN. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot analyses exhibited dramatic levels of EPO protein in the injected striatum. As a result, nigral DA neurons were protected against 6-OHDA-induced toxicity. Amphetamine-induced rotational asymmetry and spontaneous forelimb use asymmetry were both attenuated. Interestingly, we also observed that intrastriatal injection of AAV9-EPO vectors led to increased numbers of red blood cells in peripheral blood. This highlights the importance of using an inducible gene delivery system for EPO gene delivery.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by Eichler Award from the Parkinson's disease Resource of Northwest Louisiana, LEQSF(2008-11)-RD-A-15 and NSF(2008)-Pfund-104 from the Louisiana Board of Regents, Research grant from the American Parkinson Disease Association and the Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium. We thank Dr David Knight for critical reading of the manuscript. We also acknowledge Ms Kathleen Llorens for her help in obtaining the confocal microscope images presented in this article.

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Author notes

  1. Y-Q Xue and B-F Ma: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA

    Y-Q Xue, B-F Ma, L-R Zhao & W-M Duan

  2. Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA

    L-R Zhao & B Li

  3. Gene Therapy Program, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA

    L-R Zhao, R L Klein & W-M Duan

  4. Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA

    J B Tatom & R L Klein

  5. Vector Gene Technology Company LTD, Beijing, PR China

    L-X Jiang

  6. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China

    W-M Duan

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Correspondence to W-M Duan.

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Xue, YQ., Ma, BF., Zhao, LR. et al. AAV9-mediated erythropoietin gene delivery into the brain protects nigral dopaminergic neurons in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Gene Ther 17, 83–94 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/gt.2009.113

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