Advisor(s)
Dilshan Beligala
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Start Date
24-4-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
24-4-2026 10:50 AM
Abstract
Effects of Limb Dominance on Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in a 6-OHDA Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease Assessed by Immunoblotting
Jasin Porshiaa , Deanna Chaialeea , Dipesh Pokharelb,c , Kala Venkiteswaranb, c, d , Thyagarajan Subramanianb, c, d, Dilshan Beligalaa
aDepartment of Biological Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH, USA
bDepartment of Neurosciences and Psychiatry, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
cDepartment of Neurology, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
dDepartment of Neurology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by pronounced asymmetry compared to other neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Lewy body dementia (LBD). This asymmetry is typically evident at disease onset and a certain degree often persists throughout progression. The motor symptoms of PD are primarily linked to dopamine loss within the basal ganglia. Although dopaminergic degeneration occurs in both hemispheres, only a small proportion of patients exhibit symmetric motor symptoms. Despite this, the role of hemispheric lateralization in PD progression remains poorly understood. Paw preference in rats, analogous to human handedness, provides a useful model to study lateralized brain function. This study examines whether paw preference influences hemispheric vulnerability in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD, a neurotoxin-based model that selectively lesions dopaminergic neurons and produces robust unilateral degeneration. Specifically, it investigates whether limb dominance is associated with asymmetric dopaminergic degeneration and changes in protein expression. Immunoblotting is used to compare hemispheric expression of key dopaminergic markers: tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopa decarboxylase (DDC), and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), across brain regions central to PD pathology. Preliminary analyses in control animals show no significant hemispheric differences, while data collection for 6- OHDA–treated animals is ongoing.
Recommended Citation
Porshia, Jasin Aziz; Chaialee, Deanna; Pokharel, Dipesh; Venkiteswaran, Kala; Subramanian, Thyagarajan; and Beligala, Dilshan, "Effects of Limb Dominance on Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in a 6-OHDA Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease Assessed by Immunoblotting" (2026). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 9.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2026/Posters/9
Open Access
Available to all.
Included in
Medical Biochemistry Commons, Medical Molecular Biology Commons, Medical Neurobiology Commons, Medical Pharmacology Commons, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons, Other Medical Sciences Commons, Other Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons, Pharmacology Commons
Effects of Limb Dominance on Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in a 6-OHDA Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease Assessed by Immunoblotting
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Effects of Limb Dominance on Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in a 6-OHDA Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease Assessed by Immunoblotting
Jasin Porshiaa , Deanna Chaialeea , Dipesh Pokharelb,c , Kala Venkiteswaranb, c, d , Thyagarajan Subramanianb, c, d, Dilshan Beligalaa
aDepartment of Biological Sciences, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH, USA
bDepartment of Neurosciences and Psychiatry, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
cDepartment of Neurology, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
dDepartment of Neurology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by pronounced asymmetry compared to other neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Lewy body dementia (LBD). This asymmetry is typically evident at disease onset and a certain degree often persists throughout progression. The motor symptoms of PD are primarily linked to dopamine loss within the basal ganglia. Although dopaminergic degeneration occurs in both hemispheres, only a small proportion of patients exhibit symmetric motor symptoms. Despite this, the role of hemispheric lateralization in PD progression remains poorly understood. Paw preference in rats, analogous to human handedness, provides a useful model to study lateralized brain function. This study examines whether paw preference influences hemispheric vulnerability in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD, a neurotoxin-based model that selectively lesions dopaminergic neurons and produces robust unilateral degeneration. Specifically, it investigates whether limb dominance is associated with asymmetric dopaminergic degeneration and changes in protein expression. Immunoblotting is used to compare hemispheric expression of key dopaminergic markers: tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopa decarboxylase (DDC), and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), across brain regions central to PD pathology. Preliminary analyses in control animals show no significant hemispheric differences, while data collection for 6- OHDA–treated animals is ongoing.