Characterization of Sex Differences in the AAV-A53T Alpha-Synuclein Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease
Year: 2021
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) shows greater prevalence and earlier disease onset in men than women. The male to female ratio is approximately 1.6:1 and the age of onset of PD is 2 years later in women. Sexual dimorphism have also been shown in animal models of PD. Previous studies have shown reduced dopaminergic neuronal loss and motor dysfunctions in female rodents compared to males. However, most studies using PD animal models do not include sex as a factor. This thesis investigates sex differences in an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) model that mediates the overexpression of alpha-synuclein in male and female rats. We found that both sexes showed significant degeneration of nigral dopaminergic neurons using immunofluorescence microscopy and standard stereology. Male rats had higher α-synuclein expression six weeks after AAV infection, while females displayed worse behavioural deficits after three weeks. In vitro data showed no sex differences in AAV-A53T expression in primary neurons. These findings suggest that understanding these sex-specific differences is important for optimizing PD treatments for men and women.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Ping, Su(san)
Institution: University of Toronto
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7132929947