title: Specific reactions of different striatal neuron types in morphology induced by quinolinic acid in rats.
abstract: Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurological degenerative disease and quinolinic acid (QA) has been used to establish HD model in animals through the mechanism of excitotoxicity. Yet the specific pathological changes and the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. We aimed to reveal the specific morphological changes of different striatal neurons in the HD model. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to unilaterally intrastriatal injections of QA to mimic the HD model. Behavioral tests, histochemical and immunhistochemical stainings as well as Western blots were applied in the present study. The results showed that QA-treated rats had obvious motor and cognitive impairments when compared with the control group. Immunohistochemical detection showed a great loss of NeuN+ neurons and Darpp32+ projection neurons in the transition zone in the QA group when compared with the control group. The numbers of parvalbumin (Parv)+ and neuropeptide Y (NPY)+ interneurons were both significantly reduced while those of calretinin (Cr)+ and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)+ were not changed notably in the transition zone in the QA group when compared to the controls. Parv+, NPY+ and ChAT+ interneurons were not significantly increased in fiber density while Cr+ neurons displayed an obvious increase in fiber density in the transition zone in QA-treated rats. The varicosity densities of Parv+, Cr+ and NPY+ interneurons were all raised in the transition zone after QA treatment. In conclusion, the present study revealed that QA induced obvious behavioral changes as well as a general loss of striatal projection neurons and specific morphological changes in different striatal interneurons, which may help further explain the underlying mechanisms and the specific functions of various striatal neurons in the pathological process of HD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Nephrology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qiqi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shuhua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jiajia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lisi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wanlong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002452:Cell Count; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007395:Interneurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017378:Quinolinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D017378:Quinolinic Acid