Long-term treatment with the dopamine precursor levodopa (L-DOPA) induces dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We divided hemiparkinsonian rats treated chronically with L-DOPA into two groups: one showed motor improvement without dyskinesia, and the other developed debilitating dyskinesias in response to the treatment. We then compared the plasticity of corticostriatal synapses between the two groups. High-frequency stimulation of cortical afferents induced long-term potentiation (LTP) of corticostriatal synapses in both groups of animals. Control and non-dyskinetic rats showed synaptic depotentiation in response to subsequent low-frequency synaptic stimulation, but dyskinetic rats did not. The depotentiation seen in both L-DOPA-treated non-dyskinetic rats and intact controls was prevented by activation of the D1 subclass of dopamine receptors or inhibition of protein phosphatases. The striata of dyskinetic rats contained abnormally high levels of phospho[Thr34]-DARPP-32, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 1. These results indicate that abnormal information storage in corticostriatal synapses is linked with the development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia.

Although supersensitivity of D 2 receptors is expected when parkinsonism is first apparent, the first L-dopa dose administered does not generally induce dyskinesia, but dyskinesia develops gradually over time.7 Accordingly, the D 2 /D 3 receptor agonists exert an antiparkinsonian effect with a reduced propensity to elicit dyskinesia when administered de novo in PD patients. 8 There is some evidence that D 1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels are increased after dopaminergic treatment of the DA-depleted striatum in animal models of LID 9 ; that downstream signal transduction cascades is abnormal in LID, 10,11 including increased phosphorylation of cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of 32kDa 12 ; and that an altered subcellular localization of D 1 receptors is involved in LID. 13 Moreover, a DA D 1 receptor agonist with proven antiparkinsonian action 14 induced LID similar to that induced by L-dopa in PD patients, 15 further suggesting that D 1 supersensitivity plays a key role in LID occurrence. Together, these observations call for a reassessment of the changes affecting D 1 and D 2 DA receptors in LID.In this study, taking advantage of a nonhuman primate (NHP) brain bank constituted to study the pathophysiology of LID, 16 we determined changes affecting D 1 and D 2 DA receptors within the striatum of four experimental groups: normal, parkinsonian, parkinsonian chronically treated with L-dopa without exhibiting dyskinesia, and parkinsonian chronically treated with L-dopa that shows overt dyskinesia. We show that LIDs are linked to a modification of both D 1 receptor expression and sensitivity of the D 1 -signaling cascade, reinforcing the hypothesis of the pivFrom the

We have purified and characterized a factor, from the conditioned medium of neural stem cell cultures, which is required for fibroblast growth factor 2's (FGF-2) mitogenic activity on neural stem cells. This autocrine/paracrine cofactor is a glycosylated form of cystatin C (CCg), whose N-glycosylation is required for its activity. We further demonstrated that, both in vitro and in vivo, neural stem cells undergoing cell division are immunopositive for cystatin C. Finally, we showed in vivo functional activity of CCg by demonstrating that the combined delivery of FGF-2 and CCg to the adult dentate gyrus stimulated neurogenesis. We propose that the process of neurogenesis is controlled by the cooperation between trophic factors and autocrine/paracrine cofactors, of which CCg is a prototype.

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Background: CD161 expressed by NK cells and T cells interacts with LLT1.Results: LLT1 expression profile reveals LLT1 is induced by pathogens and IFN-␥ and LLT1/CD161 interaction inhibits NK cell functions whereas it costimulates T cells. Conclusion:The link between LLT1 expression and pathogen stimulation points toward a role in modulating immune responses to pathogens Significance: LLT1/CD161 interaction is relevant in immunity to infection.