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Effects of 6-Hydroxydopamine on CNS Catecholamines, Spontaneous Motor Activity and Amphetamine Induced Hyperactivity in Rats

Abstract

THE compound 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) produces a long-lasting depletion of brain noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) when injected into the lateral ventricle of the rat brain1. This treatment also results in a reduction in the activities of the catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase and DOPA decarboxylase, in the hypothalamus and corpus striatum. In addition there is a marked reduction in the rate of uptake of 3H-NA into tissue slices from these regions1. These findings are consistent with the evidence from morphological studies2,3 which suggest that the compound causes an acute degeneration of adrenergic nerve terminals in the sympathetic nervous system when admioistered systemically. The effects of 6-OHDA in the CNS are restricted to NA and DA containing neurones, and there is no recovery for periods of up to 142 days after treatment1. The doses of 6-OHDA injected into the brain are not sufficiently large to have any effects on the peripheral sympathetic nervous system2.

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EVETTS, K., URETSKY, N., IVERSEN, L. et al. Effects of 6-Hydroxydopamine on CNS Catecholamines, Spontaneous Motor Activity and Amphetamine Induced Hyperactivity in Rats. Nature 225, 961–962 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/225961a0

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