title: Retinal dopamine sensitivity to MPP+ toxicity: electrophysiological and biochemical evaluation.
abstract: This study concerns the effect of intravitreal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) on the electroretinograms (ERG) and on the levels of retinal dopamine (DA) in rabbits. The right eye was injected intravitreously with MPP+ while the other received only the vehicle and served as control. The administration of 7, 40, 70 or 700 micrograms MPP+ resulted in a dose-related decrease of the amplitude of the a and b-waves as well as the oscillatory potentials (OPs) of the ERG, down to extinction. In contrast, the retinal DA content was decreased only with the 700 micrograms MPP+ dose. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated abnormalities in the retinal circulation of all MPP+-treated eyes. These observations indicate that MPP+ causes lesions to the retinal vessels at doses non-toxic to the retinal dopaminergic neurons. These data suggest that intravitreal injection of MPP+ cannot be used to study the physiological role of retinal DA.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Laval University, Sainte-Foy, Que, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harnois
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marcotte
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daigle
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
mesh_terms: D015655:1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium / Q000633:toxicity*; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004596:Electroretinography; D005123:Eye; D007267:Injections; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D015655:1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium; D004298:Dopamine