Study of Brain Cells in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Raman Microspectroscopy and Scanning Ion-Conductance Microscopy

The aim of the study was to identify differences in the structure of the neuronal process network as well as the composition and functional state of cells by studying the bodies and processes of rat brain neurons and astrocytes obtained from pluripotent stem cells of healthy donors and patients with hereditary Parkinson’s disease by using a complex of modern high-precision methods such as Raman microspectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman microspectroscopy, and scanning ion-conductance microscopy.

Materials and Methods. By using Raman spectroscopy and scanning ion-conductance microscopy, the researchers studied the morphology and state of molecules in rat brain neurons and astrocytes induced from pluripotent stem cells of healthy donors and patients with hereditary Parkinson’s disease.

Results. The researchers established that typical bands of Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectra of neurons and astrocytes allowed studying the distribution and conformation of a series of biological molecules (proteins, lipids, cytochromes) in healthy and unhealthy states. It was shown that in Parkinson’s disease, there was a decrease in the protein content and an increase in the proportion of reduced cytochromes in the respiratory chain of astrocyte mitochondria. When comparing the morphology of astrocyte bodies and processes, it was established that the height and cross-sectional area of astrocyte processes obtained from cells of patients with hereditary Parkinson’s disease were significantly greater than in healthy patients.

Conclusion. The developed approach to recording the distribution and conformation of molecules in neurons and astrocytes, as well as to studying the morphology of astrocyte processes allows diagnosing the functional state of cells and investigating the mechanism of the Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis.

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