title: Pramipexole attenuates the dopaminergic cell loss induced by intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine.
abstract: The D3 preferring dopamine agonist pramipexole has been shown to attenuate the cell loss induced by levodopa in vitro. Pramipexole was herein evaluated in the 6-hydroxydopamine lesion model to determine its in vivo effect. Rats were treated with pramipexole or saline before and after an intracerebroventricular 6-hydroxydopamine injection. In the preliminary study, 6-hydroxydopamine produced a 68% reduction in striatal dopamine and a 62% loss in tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive (THir) cell counts in the substantia nigra. Pramipexole treated animals exhibited a 29% and a 27% reduction in striatal dopamine and THir cell counts, respectively. THir cell counts and striatal dopamine were significantly correlated. In the stereological study, 6-hydroxydopamine reduced THir cell counts by 47% in saline treated animals and 26% in pramipexole treated animals. These data demonstrate that pramipexole attenuates the biochemical and THir cell changes normally produced by 6-hydroxydopamine consistent with its neuroprotective actions in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: T Q
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Vu
authors.forename: Z D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Robie
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lipton
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Carvey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016627:Oxidopamine; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D000077487:Pramipexole; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D052160:Benzothiazoles; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D013844:Thiazoles; D000077487:Pramipexole; D016627:Oxidopamine; D004298:Dopamine