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Evaluation of Estrogen Neuroprotective Effect on Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons Following 6-Hydroxydopamine Injection into the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta or the Medial Forebrain Bundle

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Abstract

Studies involving estrogen treatment of ovariectomized rats or mice have attributed to this hormone a neuroprotective effect on the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) neurons. We investigated the effect of estradiol replacement in ovariectomized rats on the survival of dopaminergic mesencephalic cell and the integrity of their projections to the striatum after microinjections of 1 μg of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the right SNpc or medial forebrain bundle (MFB). Estradiol replacement did not prevent the reduction either in the striatal concentrations of DA and metabolites or in the number of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons following lesion with 1 μg of 6-OHDA into the SNpc. Nevertheless, estradiol treatment reduced the decrease in striatal DA following injection of 1 μg of 6-OHDA into the MFB. Results suggest therefore that estrogen protect nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons against a 6-OHDA injury to the MFB but not the SNpc. This may be due to the distinct degree of lesions promoted in these different rat models of Parkinson’s disease.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to Tatiana Nemoto Piccoli Moraes, Renata Lins Fuentes Araújo, Janyana Marcela Doro Deonízio and Renata Vaguetti for their participation in some experiments and to Ruither Oliveira Carolino for technical support. The financial support of CNPq, CAPES and FAPESP is also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, C.P. 19 031, 81 531-990, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Anete Curte Ferraz, Francesca Matheussi, Vanessa Rizelio & Ana Márcia Delattre

  2. Laboratório de Neuroendocrinologia, Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Morfologia, Estomatologia e Fisiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Café s/no, 14049–904, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil

    Raphael Escorsim Szawka & Janete A. Anselmo-Franci

  3. Laboratório de Histofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite 500, 90 050–170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Paula Rigon, Érica do Espírito Santo Hermel & Matilde Achaval

  4. Laboratório de Biologia Tecidual, Departamento de Ciências Morfofisiológicas, PUCRS, Av. Ipiranga 6681, 90 619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Léder Leal Xavier

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  1. Anete Curte Ferraz
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Correspondence to Anete Curte Ferraz.

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Ferraz, A.C., Matheussi, F., Szawka, R.E. et al. Evaluation of Estrogen Neuroprotective Effect on Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons Following 6-Hydroxydopamine Injection into the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta or the Medial Forebrain Bundle. Neurochem Res 33, 1238–1246 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-007-9575-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-007-9575-7

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