[Treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: new perspectives].

The experimental models of neurodegeneration give a possibility to study the inflammatory reaction that starts in response to neuronal death. Inflammation consists of microglial and astroglial activation, expression of new molecules as cytokines, adhesion molecules and MHC antigens, and is potentially neurotoxic. This article is a summary of a few latest studies that investigate anti-inflammatory agents effect on neuron survival in MPTP mice model of Parkinson's disease. Murine model of Parkinson's disease uses a quite selective toxic effect of MPTP on nigrostriatal system. MPTP causes degeneration of dopaminergic cells bodies in the substantia nigra and of their endings in striatum. Our findings show that anti-inflammatory treatment protects neuronal death. It may indicate that the inflammation contributes to the dopaminergic neuron impairment following MPTP intoxication. However this hypothesis needs further investigation because recent studies suggest that inflammation may have also a protective effect in neurodegentration.