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Model | Behavioral symptoms | Nigrostriatal damage | Synuclein aggregation/Lewy body formation | Uses of the model | Disadvantages |
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6-OHDA | Rotational behavior after unilateral injection | Loss of DA innervation at injection site (striatum) | No inclusions | Screen therapies that may improve PD symptoms. Study mechanisms of cell death | Requires intracerebral injection, very little synuclein involvement. |
MPTP | Motor impairments in primates Less obvious motor impairments in acute rodent models | Loss of DA neurons dependent on dosing regimen, reaching 95% in acute high-dose conditions. Reduced DA levels in striatum concurrent with midbrain DA neuron loss | Inclusions not prevalent. Few cases of synuclein aggregation in nonhuman primates, as well as increased synuclein immunoreactivity in rodents. | Screen therapies that may improve PD symptoms. Study mechanisms of cell death | Nonprogressive model of cell death. Inclusiones are rare. |
Rotenone | Reports of decreased motor activity in rodents | Loss of DA neurons accompanied by reduced DA innervation in striatum | Synuclein aggregation in DA neurons. | Test neuroprotective compounds | Substantial morbidity and mortality. Labor and time intensive. |
Paraquat | No clear motor deficits | Decreased striatal TH immunoreactivity | No inclusions present, but increased synuclein immunoreactivity in DA neurons of the SN | Test neuroprotective strategies | Not extensively tested. Effects in other neurotransmitter systems. |
α-synuclein | Severe motor deficits in the A53T model, less in the A30P model | Generally no DA neuron degeneration observed | Synuclein aggregation found in DA neurons, generally restricted to A53T model | Study the role of synuclein aggregation in PD, as well as the normal role of synuclein | Generally no DA neuron death observed with synuclein models |
LRRK2 | Few behavioral deficits seen in Drosophila mutation models | No effect on DA development or maintenance in knockouts, minimal levels of degeneration in mutation models | Generally not observed | Study the role of LRRK2 mutations related to PD | General lack of degeneration and general lack of synuclein aggregation. |
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