title: Motor function and dopamine release measurements in transgenic Huntington's disease model rats.
abstract: Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, genetic, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by deficits in motor and cognitive function. Here, we have quantitatively characterized motor deficiencies and dopamine release dynamics in transgenic HD model rats. Behavioral analyses were conducted using a newly-developed force-sensing runway and a previously-developed force-plate actometer. Gait disturbances were readily observed in transgenic HD rats at 12 to 15months of age. Additionally, dopamine system challenge by ip injection of amphetamine also revealed that these rats were resistant to the expression of focused stereotypy compared to wild-type controls. Moreover, dopamine release, evoked by the application of single and multiple electrical stimulus pulses applied at different frequencies, and measured using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry at carbon-fiber microelectrodes, was diminished in transgenic HD rats compared to age-matched wild-type control rats. Collectively, these results underscore the potential contribution of dopamine release alterations to the expression of motor impairments in transgenic HD rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and R. N. Adams Institute for Bioanalytical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: Kelli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lauderdale
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mahoney
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Hörsten
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Riess
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D055647:Rats, Transgenic
chemical_list: D000661:Amphetamine; D004298:Dopamine