Effects of hypoxia on brain gene expression in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether chronic, continuous hypoxia (breathing 11% FIO2) would improve neurodegenerative disease in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease, which was modeled through intrastriatal injection of a-synuclein preformed fibrils (PFFs). We find that chronic, continuous hypoxia helps to prevent further neurodegeneration and alleviate neurological disease. Overall design: RNA-seq of mouse substantia nigra samples after unilateral stereotaxic injection with either a-synuclein pre-formed fibrils or a-synuclein monomers. The mice were then housed in normoxia (21% oxygen) for six weeks, after which half of the mice were transferred to hypoxia (11% oxygen) and half continued to be housed in normoxia for another six weeks before harvesting.