Dopaminergic neuron asthe cell model for Parkinson's disease

：Parkinson's disease (PD)is a progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The etiology andmolecular mechanism of PD remain unclear. Though effective treatment exists for most casesat its onset, the symptoms become resistant as time goes on and the underlyingneurodegeneration cannot be stopped. Therefore, it is very necessary to establish animaland cell culture models reflecting the pathological changes and the efficacy of treatment.Next to neurotoxic studies with MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) inmonkeys and mice, cell cultures of dissociated fetal nigral tissue including dopaminergiccells of the mesencephalon are currently used. The technique of preparing primary cultureof ventral mesencephalon was put forward by Berger and his colleagues in 1982. Dissociatedventral mesencephalic tissue from mice or rat embryos at gestation day 13 to 15 usuallywas used to make primary cell culture in which the dopaminergic neurons can be maintainedfor several months. So such a long term culture system can be developed in vitro permitsstudies on both acute and chronic lesions in dopaminergic neurons. Radioligands,fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase have been usedto identify dopaminergic neurons. Changes in morphology and loss of the dopaminergicneurons can be easily detected, so this cell model will play an important role in theresearch of etiology, mechanism and novel treatments of PD. Key words: mesencephalon;  primary cell culture;  Parkinson' s disease;  model