Extracellular levels of dopamine and its metabolite 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylacetic acid measured by microdialysis in the corpus striatum of conscious AS/AGU mutant rats.
The AS/AGU rat is a mutant derived from the Albino Swiss (AS) strain. It is characterized by an ungainly, staggering gait, hind limb rigidity, whole body tremor and, in older animals, difficulty in initiating movement. As and AS/AGU males aged three, six and nine months (n=6 per group) were used to estimate the levels of dopamine and its metabolites in the extracellular fluid of the caudate-putamen. The results indicate a profound loss of dopamine in the extracellular fluid at all age points examined, together with an increase in the concentration of the metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. It is suggested that these changes reflect a defect of dopaminergic neuron function which may underlie the motor disorder seen in these animals.
Campbell
J M
JM
Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Biomedical Systems, University of Glasgow, UK.
Gilmore
D P
DP
Russell
D
D
Growney
C A
CA
Favor
G
G
Weir
J
J
Stone
T W
TW
Payne
A P
AP
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D004298:Dopamine