Research ReportDeletion of adenosine A1 or A2A receptors reduces l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine-induced dyskinesia in a model of Parkinson's disease

Adenosine A2A receptor antagonism provides a promising approach to developing nondopaminergic therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD). Clinical trials of A2A antagonists have targeted PD patients with L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA)-induced dyskinesia (LID) in an effort to improve parkinsonian symptoms. The role of adenosine in the development of LID is little known, especially regarding its actions via A1 receptors. We aimed to examine the effects of genetic deletion and pharmacological blockade of A1 and/or A2A receptors on the development of LID, on the induction of molecular markers of LID including striatal preprodynorphin and preproenkephalin (PPE), and on the integrity of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons in hemiparkinsonian mice. Following a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion A1, A2A and double A1-A2A knockout (KO) and wild-type littermate mice, and mice pretreated with caffeine (an antagonist of both A1 and A2A receptors) or saline were treated daily for 18-21 days with a low dose of L-DOPA. Total abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs, a measure of LID) were significantly attenuated (p < 0.05) in A1 and A2A KOs, but not in A1-A2A KOs and caffeine-pretreated mice. An elevation of PPE mRNA ipsilateral to the lesion in WT mice was reduced in all KO mice. In addition, neuronal integrity assessed by striatal dopamine content was similar in all KOs and caffeine-pretreated mice following 6-hydroxydopamine lesioning. Our findings raise the possibility that A1 or A2A receptors blockade might also confer a disease-modifying benefit of reduced risk of disabling LID, whereas the effect of their combined inactivation is less clear.

Research Highlights► Abnormal involuntary movements, a measure of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia, are attenuated by a gene knockout of either A1 or A2A receptor, but not by both. ► L-DOPA-induced abnormal involuntary movements are not attenuated by caffeine pretreatment (preceding L-DOPA). ► An elevation of preproenkephalin ipsilateral to the lesion in WT is attenuated in A1, A2A and A1-A2A double KO.