RU24722 induces spatially organized phenotypic plasticity in the locus coeruleus.
The plasticity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in rat locus coeruleus (LC) was evaluated after RU24722 TH induction using, as a new parameter of characterization, the quantitative topology of LC defined by TH-positive cells. This new phenotype was spatially organized into cell subpopulations in the medial LC, dorsal and ventro-lateral to the initial perikaryal space. Reserpine and parachlorophenylalanine, which elicited a similar increase in the TH content, failed to induce a significant change in the number of TH-expressing cells. Activation of TH expression is not sufficient to reveal the existence of such a plasticity and some original but still unknown mechanism(s) of control of TH expression is affected by RU24722.
Debure
L I
LI
Laboratoire de Neuropharmacologie, UCB-CNRS UMR 105, CERMEP, Lyon, France.
Bezin
L
L
Ginovart
N
N
Rousset
C
C
Pujol
J F
JF
Weissmann
D
D
D000818:Animals; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014749:Vincamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
D012110:Reserpine; D014749:Vincamine; C044616:vindeburnol; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D010134:Fenclonine