Summary
Newborn rats received an intracisternal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (100 μg) within 16 h after birth. Treatment effects upon noradrenaline uptake (with or without desmethylimipramine pre-incubation), endogenous noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin were biochemically assayed. Noradrenaline uptake and endogenous noradrenaline content were permanently reduced to less than 5% of control values. Reduction of endogenous dopamine content was less marked: at day 60, values were about 40% of controls. Serotonin content remained unaffected.
Cell density countings in postnatal day 15 temporal cortex revealed an about 16% reduction in layers II and III of treated animals. These modifications of cortical geometry were discussed with reference to measurements of cortical thickness and ultrastructural observations on postnatal days 2, 5 and 15. Both supranormal involution and growth processes might result from the neurotoxin treatment. Whereas some of the degeneration processes might be due to general cytotoxic effects, this is less likely for the supranormal growth processes.
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Onténiente, B., König, N., Sievers, J. et al. Structural and biochemical changes in rat cerebral cortex after neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine administration. Anat. Embryol. 159, 245–255 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317649
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317649