Using a rat experimental model of Parkinson diseas

Using a rat experimental model of Parkinson disease (168600), Lindholm et al. (2007) found that CDNF prevented the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. A single injection of CDNF before 6-OHDA delivery into the striatum significantly reduced amphetamine-induced ipsilateral turning behavior and almost completely rescued dopaminergic tyrosine-hydroxylase-positive cells in the substantia nigra. When administered 4 weeks after 6-OHDA, intrastriatal injection of CDNF restored the dopaminergic function and prevented the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra. Lindholm et al. (2007) found that CDNF was at least as efficient as GDNF at preventing the 6-OHDA-induced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in both experimental settings, suggesting that CDNF might be beneficial for the treatment of Parkinson disease.

REFERENCES
1. Lindholm, P., Voutilainen, M. H., Lauren, J., Peranen, J., Leppanen, V.-M., Andressoo, J.-O., Lindahl, M., Janhunen, S., Kalkkinen, N., Timmusk, T., Tuominen, R. K., Saarma, M. Novel neurotrophic factor CDNF protects and rescues midbrain dopamine neurons in vivo. Nature 448: 73-77, 2007. [PubMed: 17611540, related citations] [Full Text: Nature Publishing Group]


Human CDNF shares 59% amino acid identity with human MANF, and 49% and 46% identity with D. melanogaster and C. elegans Manf proteins, respectively.