Rasagiline ameliorates olfactory deficits in an alpha-synuclein mouse model of Parkinson's disease

PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e60691. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060691. Epub 2013 Apr 3.

Abstract

Impaired olfaction is an early pre-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease. The neuropathology underlying olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson's disease is unknown, however α-synuclein accumulation/aggregation and altered neurogenesis might play a role. We characterized olfactory deficits in a transgenic mouse model of Parkinson's disease expressing human wild-type α-synuclein under the control of the mouse α-synuclein promoter. Preliminary clinical observations suggest that rasagiline, a monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor, improves olfaction in Parkinson's disease. We therefore examined whether rasagiline ameliorates olfactory deficits in this Parkinson's disease model and investigated the role of olfactory bulb neurogenesis. α-Synuclein mice were progressively impaired in their ability to detect odors, to discriminate between odors, and exhibited alterations in short-term olfactory memory. Rasagiline treatment rescued odor detection and odor discrimination abilities. However, rasagiline did not affect short-term olfactory memory. Finally, olfactory changes were not coupled to alterations in olfactory bulb neurogenesis. We conclude that rasagiline reverses select olfactory deficits in a transgenic mouse model of Parkinson's disease. The findings correlate with preliminary clinical observations suggesting that rasagiline ameliorates olfactory deficits in Parkinson's disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Indans / pharmacology*
  • Indans / therapeutic use
  • Memory, Short-Term
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Olfaction Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Olfactory Bulb / drug effects
  • Olfactory Bulb / pathology
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*
  • Smell / drug effects
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Indans
  • Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • rasagiline

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council [K2010-61X-11286-16-3, 315-2004-6629] (www.vr.se), the Swedish Parkinson Foundation [253/08] (www.parkinsonfonden.se), Swedish Brain Power (www.swedishbrainpower.se), H. Lundbeck A/S (www.lundbeck.com) and TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (www.tevapharm.com). The authors EB, CFA (TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd) and MH, PK and KF (H. Lundbeck A/S) participated in the study design, the manuscript preparation and they approved the manuscript to be published. The other funders (the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Parkinson Foundation and Swedish Brain Power) had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.