Time course changes of the striatum neuropil after unilateral dopamine depletion and the usefulness of the contralateral striatum as a control structure.
BACKGROUND
After unilateral dopamine depletion, some ipsilateral alterations occur and the contralateral structure has been utilized as control.


OBJECTIVE
Our aim is to analyse the evolution of the ultrastructural alterations of the ipsilateral and contralateral striata of the 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats to demonstrate that the contralateral striatum should not be used as control structure.


METHODS
After the surgery and the rotation behavior evaluation, animals were killed from 3 to 120 days after lesioning, and their striata were compared with those of aged rats.


RESULTS
The ultrastructural analysis shows increased diameter of the synaptic ending in ipsilateral (since the third day) and contralateral striata (since day 30) and an increase in perforated synaptic contacts.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the contralateral striatum should not be taken as control structure at least after 20-30 days after lesioning, as the alterations found here may result in wrong interpretations when comparing with the ipsilateral-lesioned one.
Avila-Costa
MaríaRosa
M
Departamento de Neurociencias, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Mexico City, México. nigraizo@servidor.unam.mx
Gutierrez-Valdez
Analuisa
A
Ordoñez-Librado
JoseLuis
J
Martinez
VeronicaAnaya
V
Colin-Barenque
Laura
L
Espinosa-Villanueva
Jesús
J
Aley-Medina
Patricia
P
Montiel-Flores
Enrique
E
Velazquz-Mata
Ariadna
A
Machado-Salas
Jesús P
JP
D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods; D019581:Neuropil / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013997:Time Factors
D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D016627:Oxidopamine; D004298:Dopamine