ABSTRACT
M. INDEN 1-*, J. KONDO K*, Y. KITAMURALt, K. TAKATA[, D. TSUCHIYA \ K. NISHIMURA \ T. TANIGUCHI], H. SAWADA2 and S. SHIMOHAMA2 1 Department of Neurobiology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8412, Japan
Abstract-Recently, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), l-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) and rotenone have been shown to be dopaminergic neurotoxins. However, their neurotoxicities in rat brains in vivo are not fully understood. In the present study, we compared the in vivo neurotoxicities of 6-OHDA, MPP+ and rotenone using a single intranigral injection. The injection of 6-OHDA caused the greatest loss of dopaminergic neurons in both the substantia nigra and striatum, and apomorphine induced contralateral rotation. In contrast, apomorphine-induced rotational behavior was in the ipsilateral direction with MPP"1", and was not observed with rotenone. Although MPP+ and rotenone caused a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, striatal neurodegeneration varied. These results suggest that intranigral injections of these neurotoxins produce different degrees of dopaminergic neurotoxicity in rats in vivo.
