Visualization of ischemic insult in caudate putamen with beta-CIT.
Dopamine (DA) has been considered to play an important role in the development of ischemic neuronal injury in the caudate putamen (CPu). The goal of this study was to examine the change in the dopamine transporter (DAT) after ischemic insult in CPu.


METHODS
Male Mongolian gerbils (n = 10) were exposed to 10-min forebrain ischemia. Animals were decapitated 24 hr (n = 5) and 96 hr (n = 5) after ischemia. The change in the amount of DAT binding sites in CPu was evaluated by in vitro autoradiography with [125I]-beta-CIT (3 beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropan-2 beta-carboxylic acid methyl ester). In addition, the expression of DAT mRNA in CPu and the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) was examined.


RESULTS
Iodine-125-beta-CIT specific binding was significantly increased in dorsolateral CPu with ischemic damage both 24 hr and 96 hr after ischemia, with greater increase at 96 hr. DAT mRNA in SNC was also significantly increased 96 hr after ischemia, which corresponded with the increase of [125I] beta-CIT binding. However, DAT mRNA in SNC was decreased 24 hr after ischemia. In the ischemic lesion in CPu, no expression of DAT mRNA could be detected both 24 hr and 96 hr after ischemia.


CONCLUSIONS
The change in DAT after ischemic insult is clarified with [125I] beta-CIT. This increase of [125I] beta-CIT binding does not come from de novo expression of DAT in glial cells in the damaged area in CPu. This increase of beta-CIT binding reflects increase of DAT synthesis in DA neurons in SNC (96 hr) or other factors such as the impairment of the degradation of DAT in the damaged area in CPu.
Fujita
M
M
Division of Tracer Kinetics, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Shimada
S
S
Tohyama
M
M
Nishimura
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D005849:Gerbillinae; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011699:Putamen / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C069723:2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane; D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine