Age changes in dopamine levels in the corpus striatum of Albino Swiss (AS) and AS/AGU mutant rats.
The AS/AGU rat is characterised by an ungainly, staggering gait, hind-limb rigidity, whole body tremor and (in older animals) difficulty in initiating movement. Brains of AS and AS/AGU males aged between 3 and 12 months (n = 10 per group) were sectioned transversely on a cryostat (-20 degrees C) to produce two successive cut faces (corresponding approximately to Bregma +1.2 and -0.5 mm) and 1 mm diameter x 1 mm deep micropunches were taken from four areas of the caudate-putamen. Levels of dopamine in all four areas (measured by HPLC-ECD followed by protein estimation) peaked at around 6 months and then declined in AS and AS/AGU rats. In the dorsal and lateral caudate-putamen, dopamine levels were significantly reduced in AS/AGU rats compared to AS controls from 6 months onwards. This provides further evidence that the AS/AGU mutant has impairment of its striatal dopaminergic systems.
Campbell
J M
JM
Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Glasgow University, UK.
Payne
A P
AP
Gilmore
D P
DP
Russell
D
D
McGadey
J
J
Clarke
D J
DJ
Branton
R
R
Davies
R W
RW
Sutcliffe
R G
RG
D017668:Age of Onset; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains
D004298:Dopamine