The study was conducted due to the understanding that neurotrophic factors have the ability to protect and restore within the nervous system. CDNF was chosen because it is a specific neurotrophic factor of dopaminergic ions in the substantia nigra, which is the pathway that dopaminergic neurons are degenerated in Parkinson’s disease. The researchers tested their hypothesis by first injecting the rats with CDNF into the striatum to protect the dopaminergic neurons then injected the rats with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), which is used to degenerate dopaminergic neurons in a Parkinson’s disease model. The results of this trial showed that injecting CDNF before 6-OHDA protected the dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra pathway. The second test the researchers performed was first injecting the striatum of the rat with 6-OHDA then four weeks later injected the striatum with CDNF. The results of this trial showed that the CDNF recover the loss of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra. The results support that CDNF is capable of protecting and restoring dopaminergic neurons within the substantia
The study was conducted due to the understanding that neurotrophic factors have the ability to protect and restore within the nervous system. CDNF was chosen because it is a specific neurotrophic factor of dopaminergic ions in the substantia nigra, which is the pathway that dopaminergic neurons are degenerated in Parkinson’s disease. The researchers tested their hypothesis by first injecting the rats with CDNF into the striatum to protect the dopaminergic neurons then injected the rats with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), which is used to degenerate dopaminergic neurons in a Parkinson’s disease model. The results of this trial showed that injecting CDNF before 6-OHDA protected the dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra pathway. The second test the researchers performed was first injecting the striatum of the rat with 6-OHDA then four weeks later injected the striatum with CDNF. The results of this trial showed that the CDNF recover the loss of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra. The results support that CDNF is capable of protecting and restoring dopaminergic neurons within the substantia