The sodium-potassium ATPase inhibitor ouabain is neurotoxic in the rat substantia nigra and striatum.
Injection of ouabain, a potent and selective inhibitor of Na+/K+ ATPase, into the rat striatum and substantia nigra caused a selective neuronal loss in up to 70% of the lesioned area. However, there was a glial cell/macrophage proliferation in the core of the lesion. Neuronal loss was demonstrated by staining in vivo with Trypan Blue, a marker for dead cells. Cholinesterase staining was also lost, but in the striatum this was revealed only after pre-existing enzyme was irreversibly inhibited in vivo.
Lees
G J
GJ
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Leong
W
W
D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010042:Ouabain / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014343:Trypan Blue
D009498:Neurotoxins; D010042:Ouabain; D002802:Cholinesterases; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D014343:Trypan Blue