title: Differential astroglial activation in 6-hydroxydopamine models of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: In rat models of Parkinson's disease, injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into different areas of the basal ganglia result in dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra. The extent and time course of the dopaminergic lesions varies between the models. While the effects on neurons have been extensively studied, little is known about the effects on astrocytes. We compared astrocytic activation (i.e. increase in number and staining intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactive cells) at the injection site and in downstream structures of the motor loop, i.e. the globus pallidus (GP) and the subthalamic nucleus (STN) following 6-OHDA lesion of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) or the striatum. Lesions in both regions resulted in astrocytic activation at the lesion site, but their remote effects varied. MFB injections caused astrocytic activation in the ipsi- and contralateral striatum, whereas striatal injections resulted in astrocytic activation in the GP and STN. Since 6-OHDA injections into the MFB and the striatum result in complete and partial SNc lesions, respectively, we hypothesize that communication links exist between astrocytes, or between neurons and astrocytes, along neuronal pathways that transmit activating signals in response to neuronal damage-but only if the neuronal pathways are at least partially intact.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henning
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wree
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gimsa
authors.forename: Arndt
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rolfs
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benecke
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gimsa
mesh_terms: D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle / Q000473:pathology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016627:Oxidopamine