title: Ipsilateral and contralateral subthalamic activity after unilateral dopaminergic lesion.
abstract: Unilateral lesions of the dopaminergic nigral neurons in rats are currently used as a model of Parkinson's disease. However, several neurochemical studies have questioned the possible influence of the lesioned side on the contralateral non-lesioned side. To address this question, electrophysiological recordings in the ipsilateral and contralateral subthalamic nucleus was performed on anaesthetized rats, 3, 7 and 14 days after induction of a unilateral dopaminergic lesion. At these three times, the mean discharge rate of the subthalamic neurons recorded ipsilateral to the lesion was increased by 85, 176 and 127%, respectively, whereas this rate was decreased by 16, 27 and 43%, respectively, in the opposite subthalamic nucleus. This result emphasizes the importance of interhemispheric regulation of this structure, contrasting with the unilateralized current model of the functional organization of the basal ganglia.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U289, Hôpital de La Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Périer
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Agid
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Féger
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003714:Denervation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000009:adverse effects; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016627:Oxidopamine; D004298:Dopamine