title: Asymmetrically lesioned mesencephalon in healthy rodents: call for caution.
abstract: Stereological counting of tyrosine-hydroxylase immunoreactive (TH-IR) neurons in the mesencephalon is a pivotal parameter in assessing the extent of lesioning in animal models of Parkinson's disease. We here show that the number of TH-IR neurons often appears abnormally decreased in healthy--commercially available--mice and rats, although both the number of Nissl-stained cells and the striatal dopaminergic innervation are unaffected. This potential bias in assessing extent of neurotoxin-induced lesion and subsequent protection by pharmacological manipulation prompts us to call for caution in setting up experimental designs.
authors.affiliation: Basal Gang, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Physiopathologie de la Signalisation Cellulaire, CNRS UMR 5543, Université Victor Segalen, 146 rue Léo Saignat, 33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Elsa Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Pioli
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dovero
authors.forename: Bernard H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Bioulac
authors.forename: Christian E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Erwan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bezard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011336:Probability; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase