title: Lesioning noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus in C57Bl/6 mice with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine injection, to assess molecular, electrophysiological and biochemical changes in noradrenergic signaling.
abstract: The locus coeruleus (LC) is the major loci of noradrenergic innervation to the forebrain. Due to the extensive central nervous system innervation of the LC noradrenergic system, a reduction in the number of LC neurons could result in significant changes in noradrenergic function in many forebrain regions. LC noradrenergic neurons were lesioned in adult male C57Bl/6 mice with the unilateral administration of 6-hydroxydopamine (6OHDA) (vehicle on the alternate side). Noradrenergic markers were measured 3 weeks later to determine the consequence of LC loss in the forebrain. Direct administration of 6OHDA into the LC results in the specific reduction of noradrenergic neurons in the LC (as measured by electrophysiology, immunoreactivity and in situ hybridization), the lateral tegmental neurons and dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental region were unaffected. The loss of LC noradrenergic neurons did not result in compensatory changes in the expression of mRNA for norepinephrine (NE)-synthesizing enzymes. The loss of LC noradrenergic neurons is associated with reduced NE tissue concentration and NE transporter (NET) binding sites in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, as well as other forebrain regions such as the amygdala and SN. Adrenoreceptor (AR) binding sites (α(1)- and α(2)-AR) were not significantly affected on the 6OHDA-treated side compared to the vehicle-treated side, although there is a reduction of AR binding sites on both the vehicle- and 6OHDA-treated side in specific forebrain regions. These studies indicate that unilateral stereotaxic injection of 6OHDA into mice reduces noradrenergic LC neurons and reduces noradrenergic innervation to many forebrain regions, including the contralateral side.
authors.affiliation: Northwest Network for Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Administration Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA. szot@u. washington. edu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szot
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sikkema
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Raskind
mesh_terms: D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D059331:Adrenergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016627:Oxidopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine