title: Iron-dextran injection into the substantia nigra in rats decreases striatal dopamine content ipsilateral to the injury site and impairs motor function.
abstract: Iron chloride injections into the rat SNc can cause chronic decreases in striatal dopamine (DA) levels. However, changes in striatal DA content after iron-dextran injection into rat SNc have not been completely elucidated. The aim of this work was to measure striatal DA concentrations after iron-dextran injection into the SNc. We divided 40 male Wistar rats into five groups, including control, saline injected then sacrificed 7 days or 30 days later, and iron-dextran injected then sacrificed 7 days or 30 days later. Striatal DA content was measured in control animals and in all animals sacrificed 7 days or 30 days after injection, and motor performance was assessed in iron-dextran and saline injected groups 30 days after injection. The striatal DA levels were determined using HPLC. There were significant (P < 0.05) decreases in DA concentrations in the striatum ipsilateral to the injection site in the iron-dextran treated rats compared to control and saline-injected rats. There were no significant differences in DA concentration between the sham-operated (i.e., saline-injected) and control rats. We also observed motor deficits in the iron-dextran injected rats. The striatal DA reduction observed after iron-dextran injection may be attributable to iron-induced oxidative injury in the SNc. Motor deficits, in turn, may be explained by subsequent disturbances in striatal and cortical dopaminergic neuromodulation.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurofisiologia, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitacion, SSA, Mexico City D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bueno-Nava
authors.forename: Rigoberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Pina
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfaro-Rodriguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D006397:Hematinics; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex; D004298:Dopamine