MPTP treatment impairs tyrosine hydroxylase immunopositive fibers not only in the striatum, but also in the amygdala.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a triad of symptoms (tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia). Aside from this, emotional deficits are known to be associated with PD. A key structure of emotional processing is the amygdala. Emotional deficits seen in PD might be due to alterations in the catecholaminergic innervation of this limbic structure. We therefore examined whether 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) applied to C57/BL6 mice (an animal model of PD) affects the density of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive fibers in the amygdala as it does in the striatum. MPTP treatment caused a prominent reduction in dopamine levels (about -70%) in the striatum (determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection), accompanied by massive losses of TH-positive fibers in the striatum (-48.3%). Moreover, MPTP treatment caused prominent reductions of TH-positive fiber densities in the basolateral, lateral and central nucleus of the amygdala (about -20%). These results may provide the morphological basis for behavioral studies analyzing altered emotional responses in animal models of PD.
von Bohlen und Halbach
Oliver
O
Department of Neuroanatomy, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, IZN, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. oliver.vonbohlen@arcor.de
Schober
Andreas
A
Hertel
Richard
R
Unsicker
Klaus
K
D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D000679:Amygdala / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009498:Neurotoxins; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
D009498:Neurotoxins; D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine