Effect of dopamine-depleting brain lesions in rat pups: role of striatal serotonergic neurons in behavior.
Previous results from our laboratory have demonstrated that 3-day-old rats given dopamine (DA)-depleting brain lesions are spared the severe behavioral dysfunctions seen after comparable brain damage in adults. This behavioral sparing is accompanied by a sprouting of serotonin (5-HT)-containing neurons in the striatum. The present results extend these observations by demonstrating that rats given the brain lesions as 15- or 27-day-olds continue to suckle, wean, and grow into adulthood without exhibiting any obvious behavioral dysfunctions, yet striatal 5-HT levels do not increase. Moreover, combined destruction of DA- and 5-HT-containing neurons in 3-day-old rat pups also produced no obvious behavioral dysfunctions. These and other results indicate that increases in striatal 5-HT are not necessary for the behavioral sparing observed after DA-depleting brain lesions in neonatal rats.
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D016627:Oxidopamine; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*
D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D016627:Oxidopamine; D004298:Dopamine