Objective: To investigate relationship between glial cell and iron accumulation in the brain of the Zitter rat, which is one of neurodegenerative disease model.

Background: Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy and multiple sclerosis have much iron accumulation in the brain. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the pathogenesis of iron accumulation for solving of the neurodegenerative disease. It is already known that TH-positive cells are reduced with aging in the brain of the Zitter rat, which is one of neurodegenerative disease model.

Methods: From 7 to 9-month-old of Zitter rats (n=10) and age-matched Lewis rats were used. ED1 staining, GFAP staining, CD3 staining, Turnbull’s blue (TBB) and p22phox staining, were performed. We created an iron accumulation score from 0 to 3 in order to measure the degree of iron accumulation. The density of ED1-positive cells, GFAP-positive cells, and CD3-positive cells were measured using ImageJ densitometry. And we counted the number of p22phox positive cells.

Results: Iron accumulation was prominent in the cerebellum and substantia nigra (SN) in the Zitter rats. Iron deposition score of the Zitter rats was significantly higher than that of Lewis rats in the SN and cerebellum. There were no significant difference in the substantia nigra about number of ED-positive cells and GFAP-positive cells. ED1 was significantly more in the cerebellum in the Zitter rats. GFAP was significantly more in the striatum in the Zitter rats. There were no significant differences in the CD3 and p22phox cells.

Conclusions: Much iron deposition in the brain of the aging Zitter rat did not yield oxidative stress. It might be gone in young period. GFAP-positive cells and iron accumulation showed a tendency of negative correlation in the nigrostriatal region.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/glial-cells-and-iron-accumulation-in-the-brain-of-the-zitter-rat/