The Influence of Striatal Astrocyte Dysfunction on Locomotor Activity in Dopamine-depleted Rats.

Astrocytes are the nervous system's cells supporting the function of neurons. The failure of astrocyte-neuron interaction is observed in neurological diseases, including Parkinson's disease. We induced the aminoadipate-induced rat model of astrocytic dysfunction to evaluate the role of these cells in movement regulation. In our study, astrocytic dysfunction led to gait disturbances and impaired motor function. The results suggest a possible role of glial pathology in motor impairment in parkinsonism.