Fate of (D-Ala2)-deltorphin-I-like immunoreactive neurons in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rat brain.
The use of a polyclonal antiserum specific to C-terminal tetrapeptide amide of (D-Ala2)deltorphin-I, a naturally occurring amphibian skin opioid peptide, has already demonstrated the presence of immunoreactive neurons in rat midbrain. Double immunostaining identified these neurons as a subpopulation of the mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons that were also tyrosine hydroxylase-immunopositive and calbindin-D28kD- negative, namely, the neurons predominantly affected in Parkinson disease. We followed the fate of these neurons after a monolateral injection of 6-hydroxy-dopamine into rat brain. Almost all the immunopositive neurons and their nigrostriatal, mesolimbic and mesocortical projections on the side ipsilateral to the lesion disappeared. Only a few scattered immunopositive neurons within the substantia nigra, pars compacta, and those of supramammillary nucleus remained unaffected. The consistent overlap of dopamine and this new molecule provides a further key to identifying the mammalian counterpart of these amphibian skin opioid peptides.
Casini
A
A
Department of Human Anatomy, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Pinna
A
A
Tooyama
I
I
Kimura
H
H
Di Chiara
G
G
Renda
T G
TG
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000032:analysis*; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis
D009842:Oligopeptides; C060208:deltorphin I, Ala(2)-; D016627:Oxidopamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase