A cerebellar ataxic rat produced by kainic acid and changes in concentration and turnover rates of catecholamines in discrete brain regions.
We made an animal model of cerebellar ataxia by injections of kainic acid into the cerebellar hemispheres on both sides of male rats. The histological and behavioral changes were observed at 4 weeks following the injections. The concentrations of catecholamines and the disappearance rates of alpha-MPT-induced catecholamines were measured in discrete regions of the brain of sham-operated and kainic acid-lesioned rats. A lowered dopamine disappearance rate was seen in the accumbens nucleus of the lesioned rats, but no change in norepinephrine. These findings suggest that the decrease in dopamine turnover in the accumbens nucleus is involved in the development of ataxic behavior.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D002395:Catecholamines; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D011759:Pyrrolidines; C022260:alpha-methyltyrosine methyl ester; D007608:Kainic Acid