4. Conclusion
Currently, there is no standard treatment for PD; Therefore,
investigation of relevant factors underlying the pathophysiological
progression of this disease is required for translational research.
Here, we aimed to investigate the molecular, and behavioral responses
of panx1a −/− zebrafish larvae to shed some
light on the association of Panx1a in the etiology of PD. Although a
significant decrease was observed in the behavioral response and TH
expression of 5 pdf panx1a+/+ larvae, our
results demonstrated a resistance against 6-OHDA-induced locomotor
deficits in 5 pdf panx1a-/- larvae. However,
treatment of both genotypes with 6-OHDA for 120hrs was accompanied by
motor decline and TH expression reduction in 7dpf larvae that might be
attributed to the deregulations of the dopaminergic pathway inpanx1a-/- larvae at this age. The key findings
of this study have the potential to foster new lines of research that
will resolve changes of molecular and cellular mechanisms caused by
6-OHDA which are likely to represent the earliest insults driving a
vertebrate towards PD. These studies will shed light on the roles of
Panx1 channels in PD. Finally, the versatility of the lab-on-chip
architecture used in this study will allow to test a wide variety of
environmental toxins for their ability to cause PD-like phenotypes.