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.