title: Melatonin reduces projection neuronal injury induced by 3-nitropropionic acid in the rat striatum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melatonin has shown a protective effect against various oxidative damages in the nervous system. Our previous studies have also confirmed its effect on behavioral dysfunction of experimental rats and injury of striatal interneurons induced by 3-nitropropionic acid. The present study aimed to further determine the effect of melatonin on the injury of striatal projection neurons induced by 3-nitropropionic acid.
  
  
  METHODS
  Classic histology, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and immunoelectron microscopy were applied in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results were as follows: (1) in the striatum, 3-nitropropionic acid induced a clear lesion area with a transition zone around it, in which both D1+ and D2+ fibers were decreased significantly. However, in the group with melatonin treatment, the striatal lesion area was smaller than in the 3-nitropropionic acid group and the loss of D1+ and D2+ fibers was less pronounced than in the 3-nitropropionic acid group. (2) Histochemical results showed that the dendritic spine density of striatal projection neurons was decreased more seriously after 3-nitropropionic acid treatment, whereas the loss of dendritic spines was less marked in the melatonin-treated group than in the 3- nitropropionic acid group. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that the density of D1+ and D2+ dendrites and spines was significantly decreased in the 3-nitropropionic acid group, and the loss of D1+ and D2+ spines as well as D2+ dendrites was significantly reversed by melatonin administration. (3) Western blotting showed that the expression level of projection neuron protein markers decreased more significantly in the 3-nitropropionic acid group than in the control group and increased significantly in the melatonin-treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results suggest that 3-nitropropionic acid induces serious injury of striatal projection neurons and that melatonin effectively protects against this pathological damage.
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.forename: Erjian
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Bingbing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Lisi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: OuYang
authors.forename: Youlan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wanlong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D011422:Propionates / Q000633:toxicity*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; D008550:Melatonin; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid