title: Effects of riluzole on combined MPTP + 3-nitropropionic acid-induced mild to moderate striatonigral degeneration in mice.
abstract: We investigated the potency of riluzole, an anti-glutamatergic drug, to affect ongoing neuronal death process following combined MPTP + 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) intoxication producing combined striatal and nigral degeneration (SND) in mice. We used a "neuronal rescue" strategy by administering riluzole after the end of intoxication. The motor disorder, its recovery, behavioral performances at motor and sensorimotor integration tasks and histopathological outcome were compared in the saline and riluzole groups (10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg), matched by triplets for motor severity. While riluzole did not produce any effect on the gross motor disorder nor on rotarod task, open-field kinetic variables or on the traversing beam task, it had a subtle effect on the performances at the pole test. The histopathological outcome was significantly better in the riluzole-treated mice regarding both nigral and dorsolateral striatal cell loss and astroglial activation, with a dose-effect relationship. Thus, riluzole has limited "neuronal rescue" properties from an histopathological point of view with a subtle motor behavior improvement in a MPTP + 3-NP-induced SND in mice.
authors.affiliation: Physiologie et Physiopathologie de la Signalisation Cellulaire, UMR-CNRS 5543, Université Victor Segalen-Bordeaux2, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Diguet
authors.forename: P-O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Fernagut
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scherfler
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wenning
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020267:MPTP Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D011422:Propionates / Q000633:toxicity*; D019782:Riluzole / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009498:Neurotoxins; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; D019782:Riluzole; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid