title: Parity decreases methamphetamine-induced striatal dopaminergic perturbation.
abstract: The role of parity upon methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity of the striatal dopaminergic system was assessed. Female CD-1 mice either remained nulliparous or underwent one or three complete pregnancies and were designated as the 0, 1 or 3 pregnancy groups. The mice were then treated with a neurotoxic regimen of methamphetamine (MA--40 mg/kg) or its saline vehicle (control) and striatal dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels were measured at 7-days post-MA. Basal levels of striatal DA, DOPAC and the DOPAC/DA ratio were similar among the saline (control) 0, 1 and 3 pregnancy groups. In response to MA, striatal DA and DOPAC were significantly decreased in the 0 and 1 pregnancy as compared with the control group. Mice with 3 pregnancies showed DA and DOPAC levels that did not differ from controls and were significantly greater than the 0 pregnancy group. The DOPAC/DA ratios of the 0 pregnancy group were significantly greater than all other groups (control, 1 and 3 pregnancy) which failed to differ among each other. These results demonstrate that parity decreases MA-induced striatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity, and the degree of this neuroprotection is related to the number of pregnancies experienced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy, 4209 State Route 44, P.O. Box 95, Rootstown, OH 44272-0095, USA. ded@neoucom.edu
authors.forename: Dean E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Dluzen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D008694:Methamphetamine; D004298:Dopamine