Effect of dopamine-depleting brain lesions on suckling and weaning in rats

Enhancing the resolution of behavioral measures: Key observations during a forty year career in behavioral neuroscience

This manuscript reviews several key observations from the research program of Professor John P. Bruno that are believed to have significantly advanced our understanding of the brain's mediation of behavior. This review focuses on findings within several important research areas in behavioral neuroscience, including a) age-dependent neurobehavioral plasticity following brain damage; b) the role of the cortical cholinergic system in attentional processing and cognitive flexibility; and c) the design and validation of animal models of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. In selecting these observations, emphasis was given to examples in which the heuristic potency was increased by maximizing the resolution and microanalysis of behavioral assays in the same fashion as one typically refines neuronal manipulations. Professor Bruno served the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS) as an IBNS Fellow (1995-present) and President of the IBNS (2001-02).

Perinatal 6-Hydroxydopamine to Produce a Lifelong Model of Severe Parkinson's Disease

The classic rodent model of Parkinson's disease (PD) is produced by unilateral lesioning of pars compacta substantia nigra (SNpc) in adult rats, producing unilateral motor deficits which can be assessed by dopamine (DA) D₂ receptor (D₂-R) agonist induction of measurable unilateral rotations. Bilateral SNpc lesions in adult rats produce life-threatening aphagia, adipsia, and severe motor disability resembling paralysis-a PD model that is so compromised that it is seldom used. Described in this paper is a PD rodent model in which there is bilateral 99 % loss of striatal dopaminergic innervation, produced by bilateral intracerebroventricular or intracisternal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) administration to perinatal rats. This procedure produces no lethality and does not shorten the life span, while rat pups continue to suckle through the pre-weaning period; and eat without impairment post-weaning. There is no obvious motor deficit during or after weaning, except with special testing, so that parkinsonian rats are indistinguishable from control and thus allow for behavioral assessments to be conducted in a blinded manner. L-DOPA (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) treatment increases DA content in striatal tissue, also evokes a rise in extraneuronal (i.e., in vivo microdialysate) DA, and is able to evoke dyskinesias. D₂-R agonists produce effects similar to those of L-DOPA. In addition, effects of both D₁- and D₂-R agonist effects on overt or latent receptor supersensitization are amenable to study. Elevated basal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), namely hydroxyl radical, occurring in dopaminergic denervated striatum are suppressed by L-DOPA treatment. Striatal serotoninergic hyperinnervation ensuing after perinatal dopaminergic denervation does not appear to interfere with assessments of the dopaminergic system by L-DOPA or D₁- or D₂-R agonist challenge. Partial lesioning of serotonin fibers with a selective neurotoxin either at birth or in adulthood is able to eliminate serotoninergic hyperinnervation and restore the normal level of serotoninergic innervation. Of all the animal models of PD, that produced by perinatal 6-OHDA lesioning provides the most pronounced destruction of nigrostriatal neurons, thus representing a model of severe PD, as the neurochemical outcome resembles the status of severe PD in humans but without obvious motor deficits.

Functional associations among G protein-coupled neurotransmitter receptors in the human brain

Background

The activity of neurons is controlled by groups of neurotransmitter receptors rather than by individual receptors. Experimental studies have investigated some receptor interactions, but currently little information is available about transcriptional associations among receptors at the whole-brain level.

Results

A total of 4950 correlations between 100 G protein-coupled neurotransmitter receptors were examined across 169 brain regions in the human brain using expression data published in the Allen Human Brain Atlas. A large number of highly significant correlations were found, many of which have not been investigated in hypothesis-driven studies. The highest positive and negative correlations of each receptor are reported, which can facilitate the construction of receptor sets likely to be affected by altered transcription of one receptor (such sets always exist, but their members are difficult to predict). A graph analysis isolated two large receptor communities, within each of which receptor mRNA levels were strongly cross-correlated.

Conclusions

The presented systematic analysis shows that the mRNA levels of many G protein-coupled receptors are interdependent. This finding is not unexpected, since the brain is a highly integrated complex system. However, the analysis also revealed two novel properties of global brain structure. First, receptor correlations are described by a simple statistical distribution, which suggests that receptor interactions may be guided by qualitatively similar processes. Second, receptors appear to form two large functional communities, which might be differentially affected in brain disorders.

The neonate-6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat: a model for clinical neuroscience and neurobiological principles

In 1973, a technique of administering 6-hydroxydopamine (2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylethylamine) intracisternally to neonate rats was introduced to selectively reduce brain dopamine (neonate-lesioned rat). This neonate treatment proved unique when compared to rats lesioned as adults with 6-hydroxydopamine--prompting the discovery of differing functional characteristics resulting from the age at which brain dopamine is reduced. A realization was that neonate-lesioned rats modeled the loss of central dopamine and the increased susceptibility for self-injury in Lesch-Nyhan disease, which allowed identification of drugs useful in treating self-injury in mentally retarded patients. The neonate-lesioned rat has also been proposed to model the hyperactivity observed in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Because the neonate-lesioned rat exhibits enhanced sensitization to repeated NMDA receptor antagonist administration and has functional changes characteristic of schizophrenia, the neonate lesioning is believed to emulate the hypothesized NMDA hypofunction in this psychiatric disorder. Besides modeling features of neurological and psychiatric disorders, important neurobiological concepts emerged from pharmacological studies in the neonate-lesioned rats. One was the discovery of coupling of D1/D2-dopamine receptor function. Another was the progressive increase in responsiveness to repeated D1-dopamine agonist administration referred to as "priming" of D1-dopamine receptor function. Additionally, a unique profile of signaling protein expression related to neonate reduction of dopamine has been identified. Thus, from modeling characteristics of disease to defining adaptive mechanisms related to neonatal loss of dopamine, the neonate-lesioned rat has had a persisting influence on neuroscience. Despite an extraordinary legacy from studies of the neurobiology of this treatment, a host of unknowns remain that will inspire future investigations.

Neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine administration to mice is fatal

Depletion of dopamine in adult rats by treatment with the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) causes severe deficits in feeding, drinking, and movement that often lead to death. However, when neonatal rats are treated similarly, they survive normally, suggesting that compensatory adaptation to dopamine depletion occurs. In contrast, dopamine-deficient mice that have a selective genetic deficiency in dopamine production die 2-4 weeks after birth. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that killing dopaminergic neurons with 6-OHDA might promote survival of dopamine-deficient mice. Body weights, motor coordination, catecholamine levels, and survival were monitored for several weeks after bilateral administrations of 6-OHDA to 3-day-old mice. Some treated mice were raised in a heated chamber to help them conserve energy. The results demonstrate that regardless of genotype or environmental temperature, bilateral neonatal 6-OHDA lesions are lethal to mice.

Postnatal pup brain dopamine depletion inhibits maternal behavior

The interactions between dams and their pups and among siblings were investigated in litters with (a) all pups depleted of striatal dopamine by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA on PND3), (b) all pups treated with vehicle, or (c) half of the pups depleted of dopamine and the other half treated with vehicle. On PND10, two sets of four pups from each litter were videotaped in a novel environment with the dam:pup and maternal behaviors were later scored by blind observers. We observed a 70% decrease in striatal dopamine in 6-OHDA-treated pups but found no effect of treatment on pup weight gain. Dams with some or all DA-depleted pups (a) were slower to retrieve a pup and establish a nest, (b) retrieved pups less frequently, and (c) spent less time huddling with pups than dams with only vehicle-treated pups. When compared with DA-depleted pups in homogeneous litters, DA-depleted pups in mixed litters were less hyperactive and spent more time huddling with other pups than in isolation. These results suggest that DA-depleted pups receive compromised maternal care but can benefit from interactions with normal siblings.

Phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau on Ser 262 by an embryonic 100 kDa protein kinase

This study examined the phosphorylation of tau on Ser 262, within the first microtubule-binding domain, by a developmentally regulated 100 kDa protein kinase exhibiting significantly greater activity in the embryonic rat brain than in the adult rat brain. This protein kinase co-purified with microtubules and co-immunoprecipitated with both tau and MAP-2. In addition to phosphorylating tau, MAP-2, and a Ser 262-containing peptide, the present protein kinase activity was shown to autophosphorylate as determined by the in-gel kinase assay in the absence of any protein or peptide polymerized into the matrix. Phosphorylation of tau with this protein kinase significantly reduced the tau-microtubule interaction, and the effect was significantly greater with microtubule-associated protein (MAP) preparations from embryonic brain than with preparations from the adult. Ser 262 is phosphorylated extensively in paired helical filament (PHF) tau from Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, to a lesser extent in fetal tau, and only to a very minor extent in biopsy-derived human tau. Because the 100 kDa protein kinase activity phosphorylates Ser 262 and is higher in the fetal brain than the adult brain, it is hypothesized that an inappropriate re-expression and/or re-activation of this or a similar developmentally regulated protein kinase could contribute to the phosphorylation of Ser 262 in PHF-tau, and thus play a role in the pathogenesis of AD.

Differential effects of bilateral dopamine depletion in neonatal and adult rats

Both Lesch-Nyhan syndrome and Parkinson's disease are associated with decreased brain dopamine, yet each disorder is characterized by a different set of motor symptoms. Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is manifested in early childhood, while parkinsonism usually does not appear until adulthood, suggesting that age at the time of dopamine loss is one determinant of the effects of neurotransmitter deficiency. Support for this view is found in studies of animals given dopamine-depleting lesions at different ages and then tested in adulthood. Animals lesioned as neonates show a supersensitivity to dopamine agonists, especially D1-dopamine receptor agonists, and to MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist. In addition, neonatally treated animals show a 'priming' effect following repeated exposure to D1-dopamine agonists. Animals depleted of dopamine as adults are more supersensitive to agonists acting on the D2-dopamine receptor, and do not evidence priming to dopamine agonists or an enhanced response to MK-801. These differential pharmacological profiles suggest that the changes in neurotransmitter systems following dopamine depletion are, at least in part, determined by age at the time of the lesion.

Morphological and biochemical adaptations to unilateral dopamine denervation of the neostriatum in newborn rats

Basal ganglia of adult rats were examined for morphological and biochemical changes resulting from neonatal unilateral dopamine denervation of the striatum with increasing doses of 6-hydroxydopamine (4, 12 and 20 microg). Rotational behaviour induced by apomorphine (0.1 mg/kg) was observed in all rats injected with the high dose (20 microg) and totally absent in those injected with the low dose (4 microg). As assessed with tyrosine hydroxylase immunocytochemistry, the extent of dopamine denervation within the injected striatum was clearly related to the dose injected. In the mesencephalon, losses of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cell bodies were proportional to the dose injected and the extent of neostriatal dopamine denervation. This retrograde cell loss predominated in the ventromedial and lateral parts of the substantia nigra pars compacta, with relative sparing of the ventral tegmental area. After the injection of the intermediate (12 microg) and the high (20 microg) doses, a network of thin tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibres was visualized in the ventral part of the pars reticulata ipsilateral to the injected striatum, suggesting a neoinnervation of this structure by dopamine axons. After the high dose, the density of serotonin-immunoreactive fibres was enhanced in the anterior half of the lesioned striatum. Associated changes in dopamine and serotonin content and turnover were also documented on both sides, in the striatum and in two output structures of the basal ganglia, the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra. Dopamine content was decreased only on the injected side. After the low dose, equal reductions (-60%) were observed in the anterior striatum and the substantia nigra, whereas a more marked decrease was measured in the anterior striatum (-93%) than in the substantia nigra (-60% to -74%) after the intermediate and high doses. In the globus pallidus, dopamine tissue content was decreased (-51%) only after the high dose. Dopamine turnover was unchanged after the low dose in all structures examined and was increased in the striatum, on the lesioned side only, after the intermediate and high doses. Serotonin content was increased only on the injected side in the anterior striatum (+50% after the low and +92% after the high dose). Serotonin turnover was unchanged on the injected side but increased by +118% and by +81% in the contralateral anterior striatum after the low and high doses, respectively. It was also increased in both substantia nigra after the high dose. In conclusion, morphological changes similar to those described after a bilateral neonatal lesion were observed on the injected side in the model of the unilateral neonatal nigrostriatal dopamine denervation. Biochemical changes were, however, not restricted to the lesioned side. Notably, changes in serotonin turnover developed on the contralateral side. These morphological and biochemical adaptative changes need to be taken into account in considering the mechanisms implicated in the rotional behaviour measured in these animals.

Functional changes induced by neonatal cerebral 6-hydroxydopamine treatment: effects of dose levels on behavioral parameters

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated neonatally with either of three different doses of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA): 50 micrograms i.c., 75 micrograms i.c., or 2 x 100 micrograms i.c.v., 30 min after a subcutaneous injection of desipramine (DMI, 25 mg/kg), in order to obtain selective lesions of mesencephalic dopamine (DA) neurons to different extents. From juvenile ages onwards, rats in each dose condition were tested for spontaneous motor activity and exploration in an openfield/holeboard setting measuring ambulation, rearing and head-dips. Between 77 and 78 days, the animals were tested in a modified, enclosed radial arm maze, followed 1 week later by tests in the circular swim maze. Finally, motor activity was tested in automated activity test chambers. In the openfield/holeboard setting, hyperactivity was seen for both rearing and ambulation in rats administered 50 micrograms 6-OHDA, whereas the 75 micrograms and 2 x 100 micrograms groups showed hyperactivity for ambulation, but hypoactivity for rearing and head-dips. All three dose groups demonstrated a retardation of learning in the radial arm maze. The 75 and 2 x 100 micrograms groups, but not the 50 micrograms group, showed impairments of acquisition in the swim maze. In the activity test chambers locomotion and rearing behavior varied as a function of 6-OHDA dose, being negatively and positively, respectively, related to DA concentration in striatum. These results show that the extent of the neonatal DA lesion determines both changes in motor- and exploratory activity as well as the occurrence and severity of acquisition impairment in spatial learning tasks.

Effects of neonatal lesions of the basal forebrain cholinergic system by 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin: biochemical, behavioural and morphological characterization

Selective removal of the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons by the immunotoxin 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin has offered a new powerful tool for the study of the relationships between cholinergic dysfunction and cognitive impairments. In the present study the morphological and functional consequences of selective lesions of the basal forebrain cholinergic system during early postnatal development have been investigated following bilateral intraventricular injections of 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin to immature (four-day-old) rats. Administration of increasing doses (0.2-0.8 microgram) of the immunotoxin produced dose-dependent loss of cholinergic neurons in the septal/diagonal band area (up to 72-86%) and in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (up to 91-93%), paralleled by marked reductions in choline acetyltransferase activity in the hippocampus and several cortical regions (73-84%). The parvalbumin-positive neurons in the septal/diagonal band area and the calbindin-positive Purkinje cells in the cerebellum were unaffected at all dose levels. Brain dopamine or noradrenaline levels were unaffected or increased by the immunotoxin treatment. At the optimal dose, 0.4 microgram, the toxin conjugate produced maximal cholinergic depletion without significant mortality. Higher doses (0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 micrograms) of toxin, on the other hand, proved to be lethal for most or all of the injected animals. When tested at three and eight months after the optimal dose, in spite of persisting cholinergic depletion, the noenatally lesioned animals showed no impairment in the water maze task or in locomotor activity and exploration as compared to normal controls, probably reflecting partial sparing of the cholinergic neurons by the neonatal immunotoxic lesion (above all in the vertical and horizontal limbs of the diagonal band area), and/or a greater degree of plasticity in the developing as compared to the mature cholinergic system. The place navigational performance of the neonatally lesioned animals in the water maze task was abolished by central muscarinic cholinergic receptor blockade (by atropine) or by a second immunotoxic lesion, which eliminated virtually all residual cholinergic neurons in the septal/diagonal band area and the nucleus basalis. Administration of 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin to similarly trained, but previously normal adult rats, produced similar cholinergic depletions but much less severe place navigation deficits, suggesting that preoperative training on the task may reduce the functional consequences of a subsequent cholinergic lesion. The results thus support the view that the basal forebrain cholinergic system may be implicated in the acquisition rather than retention of spatial memory in the water maze task.

Functional and molecular differentiation of the dopamine system induced by neonatal denervation

The administration of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to damage the mesostriatal dopamine (DA) system in the neonate results in different neurochemical and behavioral consequences as compared to lesions made in adulthood. There have been few direct data to support the conclusion that the behavioral changes following neonatal 6-OHDA lesions reflect plasticity of the DA system. It is our hypothesis that the plasticity of the developing DA system is fundamentally different from that of the adult. Responses to 6-OHDA lesions can only be understood within the context of the status of the mesostriatal DA system at the time of the lesion. There are stages of development in the early postnatal period when certain components of the mesostriatal DA system are differentially sensitive to 6-OHDA lesions. These "windows" of vulnerability can be predicted from an analysis of the developmental expression of DA receptors and the maturation of the subpopulation of the mesostriatal DA system that innervates them. We review the differences in the behavioral plasticity of the adult and neonate sustaining 6-OHDA lesions to the mesostriatal DA system, the mechanisms responsible for the behavioral plasticity in the adult, and our conceptualization of which mechanisms are affected in the neonate.

Impaired acquisition and operant responding after neonatal dopamine depletion in rats

The effect of neonatal dopamine depletion in rats was examined using operant conditioning. Rat pups were given 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or sham lesions at 3 days of age. When tested as adults, 6-OHDA treated subjects were impaired in the acquisition of lever pressing for reward and displayed stereotyped sniffing patterns not observed in the control subjects. In addition, significantly lower rates of responding were measured for the lesion group during continuous reinforcement (CRF), dilution of reinforcer efficacy, and with progressively increasing fixed ratio requirements. Alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT), given before one CRF session, attenuated responding in over half the lesion animals and in none of the controls. Dopamine content in caudate nucleus was found to significantly correlate with number of trials to acquisition and rates of responding following AMPT in the lesion group, but not in the control group. Overall, the results of this experiment showed that neonatal dopamine depletion does not lead to severe motor impairment or the inability to learn, but does disrupt the normal patterns of behavior associated with operant conditioning.

Dopamine receptor supersensitivity

Dopamine (DA) receptor supersensitivity refers to the phenomenon of an enhanced physiological, behavioral or biochemical response to a DA agonist. Literature related to ontogenetic aspects of this process was reviewed. Neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) destruction of rat brain DA neurons produces overt sensitization to D1 agonist-induced oral activity, overt sensitization of some D2 agonist-induced stereotyped behaviors and latent sensitization of D1 agonist-induced locomotor and some stereotyped behaviors. This last process is unmasked by repeated treatments with D1 (homologous "priming") or D2 (heterologous "priming") agonists. A serotonin (5-HT) neurotoxin (5,7-dihydroxytryptamine) and 5-HT2C receptor antagonist (mianserin) attenuate some enhanced behavioral effects of D1 agonists, indicating that 5-HT neurochemical systems influence D1 receptor sensitization. Unlike the relative absence of change in brain D1 receptor number, DA D2 receptor proliferation accompanies D2 sensitization in neonatal 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Robust D2 receptor supersensitization can also be induced in intact rats by repeated treatments in ontogeny with the D2 agonist quinpirole. In these rats quinpirole treatments produce vertical jumping at 3-5 wk after birth and subsequent enhanced quinpirole-induced antinociception and yawning. The latter is thought to represent D3 receptor sensitization. Except for enhanced D1 agonist-induced expression of c-fos, there are no changes in the receptor or receptor-mediated processes which account for receptor sensitization. Adaptive mechanisms by multiple "in series" neurons with different neurotransmitters may account for the phenomenon known as receptor supersensitivity.

The neonatal lesion of the meso-telencephalic dopaminergic pathway increases intrastriatal D2 receptor levels and synthesis and this effect is reversed by neonatal dopaminergic rich-graft

The ascending dopaminergic pathway of 3-day-old rats has been unilaterally destroyed by the injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the lateral hypothalamus. Five days later, a suspension containing embryonic dopaminergic neurones was injected in the lesioned neostriatum. Rotational responses to dopaminergic agonists were tested eight months after grafting and animals were killed one month later. Neostriatal dopaminergic D1 and D2 receptors were examined using autoradiography while changes in D2 receptor mRNA levels were studied by in situ hybridization. The lesion induced a behavioural hypersensitivity - as manifested in contralateral rotations - to dopaminergic D1 (SKF 38393) or D2 (LY 171555) agonists which was abolished by the graft. Density of D1 receptors was not affected by the lesion while D2 receptors density was increased by 20-25% in the more rostral part of the neostriatum. Changes in D2 mRNA after the lesion paralleled those observed for D2 receptor density, i.e. D2 mRNA level was increased by 15-19% in the rostral neostriatum. The graft did not influence D1 receptor densities but reversed the post-lesion increase of D2 receptors associated parameters. It is concluded that dopaminergic grafts implanted in neonatal hosts are able to normalise the density of D2 receptors by an action on their synthesis.

Unilateral neonatal intracerebroventricular 6-hydroxydopamine administration in rats: I. Effects on spontaneous and drug-induced rotational behaviour and on postmortem monoamine levels

6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA; 100 micrograms in 5 microliters) was injected into the right ventricle (intracerebroventricular, ICV) of 3-day old Sprague-Dawley rats in an attempt to produce a unilateral neonatal dopamine (DA) lesion. At adult stage, the rats were studied for spontaneous, handling- and drug-induced rotational behaviour. The 6-OHDA-treated rats showed hyperreactivity at handling, in the animal facility and in the experimental sets. This behaviour was not observed in vehicle-treated rats, and it did not decrease through the successive experiments. Apomorphine (0.05-1 mg/kg, SC) and caffeine (20 mg/kg SC) produced contralateral rotation in neonatal 6-OHDA, but not in vehicle-injected rats. d-Amphetamine (0.2-2 mg/kg, SC) produced strong, dose-dependent, ipsilateral rotation, while the serotonin (5-HT) releasing agent, p-chloroamphetamine (2 mg/kg, SC) produced a short-lasting and weak ipsilateral rotation in the 6-OHDA-treated rats. On the 6-OHDA-injected side, DA and metabolites levels were reduced by > 70-90% in the striatum, the nucleus accumbens and the tuberculum olfactorium, while in the mesencephalon a 50% decrease was found. On the contralateral side, restricted decreases in DA and metabolites were observed. Noradrenaline (NA) levels were decreased bilaterally in the forebrain. In contrast, 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels were increased in the ipsilateral striatum (> 180%), and tuberculum olfactorium (> 120%). Thus, neonatal unilateral ICV 6-OHDA administration produced a significant unilateral decrease in tissue levels of DA and metabolites, which was most marked in the striatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Unilateral neonatal intracerebroventricular 6-hydroxydopamine administration in rats: II. Effects on extracellular monoamine, acetylcholine and adenosine levels monitored with in vivo microdialysis

6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 100 micrograms in 5 microliters) was injected into the right ventricle of 3-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats in order to produce a unilateral dopamine (DA) lesion. At adult stage, the rats were implanted with microdialysis probes into the left and right striata. On the injected side, basal extracellular levels of DA were reduced by > 65%, as compared to the contralateral side or to the levels found in vehicle-injected rats. Extracellular 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were reduced by > 95%, while acetylcholine (ACh) was decreased by > 50%. d-Amphetamine (2 mg/kg SC) produced a 10-fold increase in extracellular DA levels in the striatum contralateral to the 6-OHDA-injected side, while on the ipsilateral side. DA levels were not affected by d-amphetamine. d-Amphetamine produced an increase (> 2 fold) in extracellular ACh levels, on both ipsilateral and contralateral sides. Choline and adenosine levels were unaffected by any of the experimental conditions. Thus, neonatal unilateral ICV administration of 6-OHDA produced an ipsilateral decrease in striatal extracellular DA, DOPAC and HVA levels, compared to the contralateral side. A reduction of extracellular ACh levels was also observed on the 6-OHDA-injected side. The DA releasing effect of d-amphetamine was abolished on the 6-OHDA-injected side, but not that on ACh levels, indicating that striatal DA and ACh d-amphetamine-induced release are produced by independent mechanisms in the neonatally unilateral 6-OHDA-treated animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The increase in striatal neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity induced by neonatal dopamine-depleting lesions in rats is reversed by intrastriatal dopamine-rich transplants

The aim of the present experiment was to test whether: (i) the destruction of the dopaminergic meso-telencephalic pathway in neonatal rats induces an increase in the density of Neuropeptide Y immunoreactive (NPY-IR) neuronal perikarya within the denervated neostriatum; (ii) embryonic dopaminergic neurons grafted into the neonatal neostriatum could block such an effect of the lesion. As a control, density of NPY-IR neurones was also examined in rats lesioned and/or grafted at adulthood. The ascending dopaminergic system of 3-day-old rat pups or adult rats was unilaterally lesioned by intrahypothalamic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine. Grafting was performed six days later. The neonatal lesion increased the number of NPY-IR neurones on the lesioned side by 24% as compared to the contralateral neonstriatum. This increase was abolished in the neostriatum bearing dopaminergic grafts as evaluated six weeks after grafting. These effects are similar to that observed in animals lesioned and/or grafted as adults and further extend the range of post-lesion modifications which can be reversed by the implantation of embryonic DA neurones to neonates.

Development of uncoupling between D1- and D2-mediated motor behavior in rats depleted of dopamine as neonates

The D1- and D2-mediation of stimulated motor behavior was studied in pups (Days 10-11) and weanlings (Days 20-21) that had been depleted of dopamine (DA) on postnatal Day 3. Administration of the D1-like agonist SKF 38393 (30.0 mg/kg) or the D2-like agonist quinpirole (3.0 mg/kg) increased the incidence of sniffing and locomotion in intact and DA-depleted animals tested at either age. However, the ability of selective DA antagonists to reduce these stimulated responses interacted with both the depletion and the age at the time of testing. When tested as pups, both the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg) and the D2 antagonist clebopride (10.0 mg/kg) suppressed the behaviors induced by either class of DA agonist. When tested as weanlings, intact animals exhibited the profile of pups (i.e., either antagonist blocked each agonist). In DA-depleted weanlings, however, only the D1 antagonist blocked the D1 agonist-induced responses and only the D2 antagonist blocked the D2 agonist-induced responses. These data demonstrate that the interactions between D1 and D2 receptors in the expression of stimulated motor behaviors are altered following DA depletions in neonates. Moreover, this change in receptor function occurs sometime between 7 and 13 days after the DA depletion.

Altered activity patterns following neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine lesions to dopaminergic neurons: effect of SKF-38393

The effects of neonatal dopamine depletion on activity levels and locomotor patterns were tested in rats at 4 months of age. Measurements were taken using an activity pattern monitor. The lesioned group was significantly hypoactive in comparison to the control animals during the initial exposures to the monitor. Examination of locomotor paths indicated that the lesioned animals failed to develop the increasingly organized spatial behavior observed in control animals. In a second study, changes in motility and locomotor patterns before, during, and after the repeated administration of a D1-dopamine agonist, SKF-38393 (3.0 mg/kg) were investigated. A priming effect, leading to increases in ambulations and fine movements, was observed only in the lesioned animals after repeated administration of SKF-38393. The D1-dopamine agonist did not change the activity of the unlesioned animals and did not lead to persistent effects in lesioned animals tested 2 and 4 days following the final drug administration. Across the duration of the second study, the lesioned group did not demonstrate hypoactivity. Overall, the experiments showed that neonatal dopamine depletion disrupts the normal patterns of behavior associated with habituation to a novel environment, and repeated administration of SKF-38393 can further alter these abnormal activity patterns.

Co-activation of D1- and D2-like receptors is unnecessary for stimulated motor behavior in rats depleted of dopamine during development

The motoric effects of the D1-like agonist SKF 38393 (5.0 or 20.0 mg/kg) and the D2-like agonist quinpirole (0.2, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg) were determined in adult rats treated with 6-OHDA (100 micrograms) or its vehicle on postnatal Day 3. Quinpirole, but not SKF 38393, produced stereotypy and modest motor activity in vehicle-treated rats. These effects of quinpirole were blocked by either the D1-like antagonist SCH 23390 (0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg) or the D2-like antagonist clebopride (10.0 mg/kg). In contrast, administration of either D1- or D2-like agonists enhanced stereotypy and motor behavior in animals depleted of dopamine with 6-OHDA. However, in these animals, only the D1-like antagonist was able to block D1-induced behaviors and only the D2-like antagonist was able to block D2-induced behaviors. A separate group of adult rats, treated with 6-OHDA (200 micrograms) on postnatal Day 20, was studied to determine whether these effects depended upon age at the time of DA depletion. Animals depleted on Day 20 resembled animals depleted on Day 3 in that D2-, but not D1-like antagonists, blocked D2 agonist-induced responses. These results demonstrate that in animals depleted of DA during development, qualitative changes in D1/D2 receptor interactions result in the ability of each receptor subtype to independently activate stereotypy and motor behavior.

Making two movements at once: impairments of movement, posture, and their integration underlie the adult skilled reaching deficit of neonatally dopamine-depleted rats

Adult rats depleted bilaterally of dopamine in infancy display a profound impairment in skilled forelimb use in reaching for food. This impairment was investigated using end-point measures of reaching success, movement analysis, and kinematic measures. The rats made few successful reaches in either an easy or a difficult reaching test. Their reaches were characterized by many attempts in which trajectories of the limb were irregular and the movements were slow. Their lack of success was related in part to an impairment in making component movements of the reach, including aiming, pronating, grasping, and supinating the paw and in releasing the food pellet. It was also related to an inability to adjust posture as the limb was voluntarily moved toward the food. The results are consistent with the hypotheses that the basal ganglia, including its dopamine innervation, is important for enabling voluntary movements and postural adjustments and perhaps also the simultaneous performance of two movements at the same time.

Dopamine neoinnervation in the substantia nigra and hyperinnervation in the interpeduncular nucleus of adult rat following neonatal cerebroventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine

An aberrant network of dopamine axons was found to pervade the rat substantia nigra following neonatal destruction of its dopamine nerve cell bodies and dendrites by cerebroventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine. Light-microscopic immunocytochemistry with a primary monoclonal antibody directed against dopamine-glutaraldehyde-protein was used to investigate the time-course of development and the critical period of induction of this ectopic dopamine innervation (neoinnervation). In rats 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned at postnatal day 3 (P3) and examined at P7, P10, P15, P30 or later, some dopamine fibers were already present in the substantia nigra at P7; their number increased sharply until P15 and only slightly thereafter, assuming a topographic distribution reminiscent of the missing dopamine nerve cell bodies and dendrites. A similar growth of dopamine fibers took place in the substantia nigra after lesions made at P6, P9 and P12, but was less pronounced after lesion at P15 and absent after lesion at P21 or later. Excessive innervation by dopamine axons (hyperinnervation) was concomitantly observed in the nearby interpeduncular nucleus. The sprouting of dopamine axons in both regions was therefore rapid and coincided in time and space with the developmental redistribution of mesencephalic dopamine neurons in normal rat. It is conceivable that these aberrant dopamine innervations play a role in the peculiar behavior and responsiveness to dopaminergic agents manifested by neonatally 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. It will be of particular interest to investigate the functional consequences of the dopamine neoinnervation in the substantia nigra, where an eventual axonal release might thus be replacing the normal somatodendritic release of this amine.

Heterotypic sprouting of serotonergic forebrain fibers in the brindled mottled mutant mouse

The brindled mottled mouse has a mutation on the X-chromosome which causes alterations in copper metabolism. One role for copper is as a cofactor for dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), the enzyme that converts dopamine to norepinephrine (NE). This may explain the fact that the hemizygous males have low concentrations of NE, as well as high concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the brainstem and forebrain. The present study quantified serotonin (5-HT) immunoreactive fibers in the cerebral cortex and striatum of hemizygous males and control littermates on postnatal (P) days 7, 10, 12 and 14. The density of 5-HT immunoreactive fibers was measured using a digitized imaging system in conjunction with darkfield microscopy. Measurements of 5-HT innervation showed an age-dependent increase in density of 5-HT immunoreactive fibers in all layers of the cerebral cortex, with fiber density in brindled mice approximately 70% greater than controls by P14. High performance liquid chromatography confirmed the increased concentrations of 5-HT and 5-HIAA, and the low concentration of NE, in several regions. We believe that these results are an example of heterotypic sprouting of 5-HT neurons, similar to that observed in neonatal rats given 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). If so, these data provide the first description of 5-HT heterotypic sprouting in mice, and the first description of 5-HT heterotypic sprouting resulting from a natural disease state, rather than an experimentally induced lesion.

Changes of D1 and D2 receptors in adult rat neostriatum after neonatal dopamine denervation: quantitative data from ligand binding, in situ hybridization and iontophoresis

The specific binding of [3H]SCH23390 to D1 and of [3H]raclopride to D2 dopamine receptors was measured by autoradiography in the rostral and caudal halves of neostriatum and in the substantia nigra of adult rats subjected to near total destruction of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons by intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine soon after birth. Three months after this lesion, [3H]SCH23390 binding (D1 receptors) was slightly but significantly decreased in the rostral neostriatum (22%), but unchanged in its caudal half and in the substantia nigra. In contrast, [3H]raclopride binding (D2 receptors) was considerably increased throughout the neostriatum (10-40%), while markedly decreased in the substantia nigra (80%). In the rostral neostriatum, there were no parallel changes in D2 receptor messenger RNA levels, as measured by in situ hybridization on adjacent sections. Caudally, however, slight but significant increases in D2 messenger RNA could be observed (10-20%). As assessed by quantitative iontophoresis, there was a marked enhancement (63%) of the inhibitory responsiveness of spontaneously firing units in the rostral neostriatum to dopamine and the D1 agonist, SKF38393, in neonatally lesioned compared to control rats. On the other hand, responsiveness to PPHT, a potent D2 agonist, appeared to be unchanged. Such opposite changes in the number of D1 and D2 binding sites, dissociated from the expression of D2 receptor messenger RNA and from the sensitivity to dopamine and D1 and D2 agonists, suggested independent adaptations of these various parameters following the neonatal dopamine denervation of neostriatum. They also provided further evidence for mechanisms other than the dopamine innervation in the control of the expression of neostriatal D2 receptor messenger RNA during ontogenesis, and emphasized that the effects of dopamine and its D1 and D2 agonists in neostriatum do not depend strictly on the number of D1 and D2 primary ligand recognition sites.

Increased feeding after treatment with fructose, but not glucose, antimetabolites in rats with dopamine-depleting brain lesions

Rats were given dopamine-depleting lesions either as adults or as neonates. Compared with intact controls, lesioned rats failed to increase their food intake after acute administration of the glucoprivic agent, 2-deoxy-D-glucose. In contrast, both lesioned and control rats increased food intake after acute treatment with a peripherally-acting fructose antimetabolite, 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol. These data suggest that the failure of lesioned rats to respond behaviorally to glucoprivation is related to inhibition of glycolysis in the brain, rather than the acute nature of the metabolic challenge.

Effects of intracerebral dopaminergic grafts on behavioural deficits induced by neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the mesotelencephalic dopaminergic pathway

The functional capabilities of dopamine neuron-rich grafts implanted into the accumbens and striatal regions in neonatal rats were evaluated in a series of behavioural tests. The ascending mesotelencephalic dopaminergic system of three-day-old rat pups was bilaterally lesioned by injecting 6-hydroxydopamine at the level of the lateral hypothalamus. Five days later a suspension containing dopaminergic neurons obtained from embryonic day 14 mesencephali was injected bilaterally into the striatal complex. The functional effects of such grafts were evaluated using behavioural tests for which it was known that the performance of the animals is changed following the lesion of the mesotelencephalic pathway and for which the influence of dopaminergic grafts implanted into adult hosts have previously been described. The dopamine-rich grafts compensated for the modifications of the locomotor responsiveness to amphetamine and apomorphine induced by neonatal dopamine depletion. However, the grafts were unable to restore more complex behaviours such as hoarding for food pellets, schedule-induced polydipsia and learning behaviours. Moreover, the neonatal transplants induced additional deficits such as catalepsia, nocturnal hyperactivity and day-time hyperactivity during food deprivation. It was concluded that, at least in the present paradigm, the implantation into neonatal brain does not lead to any greater functional recovery than that observed after implantation during adulthood.

6-OHDA-treated weanling rats show normal neuroleptic sensitivity as adults on LHSS

Weanling rats receiving 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) ICV on postnatal days 15-20 and tested as adults have normal lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation locus of rise (LOR) reward thresholds but significantly lower operant motor/performance (MAX) capacity when compared to vehicle-treated controls using the rate-frequency method. These results are comparable to those previously seen in adult rats treated with 6-OHDA on postnatal day 3. In a second test, day 15-20 6-OHDA treated rats were tested as adults with pimozide (0.125-1.0 mg/kg) and showed LOR shifts ranging from 0.06-0.32 log Hz and MAX shifts of 83-47% of baseline. These results were not significantly different at any dose when compared to day 15-20 vehicle-treated rats. This second result contrasts with the pimozide subsensitivity previously reported in day 3 6-OHDA treated rats and suggests that DA depletions made later in neonatal life may involve different forms of recovery than those seen with earlier dopamine depletions.

In vivo electrochemical measurements and electrophysiological studies of rat striatum following neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine treatment

The effects of neonatal treatment (one day after birth) with the neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (75 micrograms/10 microliters intracisternal), were studied in the striatum of normal adult and treated Sprague-Dawley rats. Measurements of monoamine levels in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens, by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection, showed that neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine treatment produced a permanent and massive destruction of striatal dopamine. The effects were more pronounced in the dorsal striatum than in the nucleus accumbens. In addition, serotonin levels were elevated in the rat striatum as a consequence of the neonatal treatment. Rapid chronoamperometric recordings of K(+)-evoked monoamine overflow using Nafion-coated recording electrodes were investigated in both the dorsal and ventral striatum of control and neonatally lesioned rats. The potassium-evoked responses recorded from the dorsal striatum of the 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats were significantly reduced in amplitude as compared to controls. In addition, the reduction/oxidation current ratios of the responses were more serotonin-like, in contrast to the dopamine-like current ratios measured in the striatum of untreated animals. In ventral striatum, the amplitudes of the K(+)-evoked responses were not significantly reduced versus control. However, the K(+)-evoked signals were more serotonin-like in their electrochemical characteristics as compared to controls. In addition to the release studies, extracellular single-unit electrophysiological recordings were performed in normal and neonatally 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats. The spontaneous discharge rate of striatal neurons in the neonatally 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats was similar to that of control rats. This is in contrast to dopamine lesions in adult animals, where a marked elevation of the discharge rate is observed. Local applications of dopamine and serotonin into the striatum of neonatally 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats elicited excitations of striatal cells rather than the normal inhibitory effects seen in control animals. Taken together, these data suggest that loss of striatal dopamine terminals at birth leads to both pre- and postsynaptic alterations in monoamine pathways.

Ontogeny of apomorphine-induced stereotypy and its D1 and D2 receptor mediation in rats depleted of dopamine as neonates

The ontogeny of apomorphine-induced stereotypy in rats treated with 6-OHDA (100 micrograms) or its vehicle on postnatal Day 3 was determined on Days 6, 21, or 60-90. Stereotypic sniffing and mouthing behavior were produced by apomorphine in control and DA-depleted animals as early as Day 6. Animals depleted of DA as neonates exhibited supersensitivity to these behavioral effects from Day 6 into adulthood. The relative contributions of D1 and D2 receptor activation to apomorphine-induced behaviors were determined by measuring the ability of specific D1 or D2 antagonists to block these effects in adults. Blockade of D1 receptors with SCH 23390 or D2 receptors with clebopride suppressed apomorphine-induced stereotypy in both vehicle- and 6-OHDA-treated rats. However, adults depleted of DA as neonates were less sensitive to the DA antagonists than were control rats. These results demonstrate that apomorphine-induced stereotypy is present as early as postnatal Day 6. Rats depleted of DA as neonates continue to exhibit these behaviors, even at lower doses of apomorphine than were necessary in control animals. Finally, coactivation of D1 and D2 receptors appears necessary for apomorphine-induced stereotypy in both groups of rats.

Unilateral dopamine lesions in neonatal, weanling and adult rats: comparison of rotation and reaching deficits

The aim of this study was to compare the functional effects of neonatal, weanling and adult lesions of the dopaminergic (DA) mesencephalic neurones on paw-reaching behaviour. The mesotelencephalic DA pathway was destroyed unilaterally in neonatal (3 and 7 day), weanling (21 day) and adult (2 months) rats by local injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the lateral hypothalamus, followed by behavioural studies conducted 2 months later. Amphetamine and apomorphine induced similar rates of rotation irrespective of the age of the lesion. By contrast skilled reaching with the contralateral paw was profoundly disrupted by lesions made in adult or weanling rats, but a much reduced deficit was observed in neonatally lesioned rats. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry indicated a similar degree of dopamine cell loss from the substantia nigra in all groups. These observations suggest that the host brain undergoes developmental changes 1-3 weeks postnatally that influence the long-term effects of lesions in the nigrostriatal dopamine system.

Neonatal 6-OHDA Lesions differentially affect striatal D1 and D2 receptors

Lesions to the dopamine (DA) system in early postnatal development have different behavioral consequences compared to lesions made in adulthood. Intrastriatal injections of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on the day of birth (PO) or postnatal day 1 (P1) produce a selective supersensitivity to D1 receptor agonists and a subsensitivity to D1 antagonists (Neal and Joyce, 1991a). In this paper, we describe the long-term effects of early DA loss on DA receptor regulation. Pups received bilateral intrastriatal injections of the neurotoxin 6-OHDA (4 micrograms per striatum) on PO or P1. Adult rats were killed at 90 days of age and the brains were processed for quantitative autoradiography (QAR) or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry. Cohorts were tested for the behavioral responses to the selective D1 receptor agonist SKF38393 (10 mg/kg). Neonatally lesioned rats exhibited increases in abnormal perioral movements in response to D1 receptor stimulation. There was a heterogenous and patchy loss (40-50%) of [3H]mazindol binding to high-affinity DA uptake sites (a marker of DA terminal density) and a similar loss of TH-like immunoreactivity within the striata of the neonatally lesioned rats. There was also a reduction in the number of mu-opioid receptor patches (labelled with [3H]naloxone), a marker for the striatal patch compartment, and a similar patchy loss of D1 binding sites (labeled with [3H]SCH23390). The binding of [3H]spiroperidol to D2 sites was not altered. This is in contrast to the changes observed following adult 6-OHDA lesions, wherein there is a significant increase in the number of D2 binding sites (Joyce, 1991a,b). The results are discussed with respect to the behavioral consequences of neonatal lesions and the differences between neonatal and adult lesions.

Sensory gating in rats depleted of dopamine as neonates: potential relevance to findings in schizophrenic patients

Based on a recent hypothesis of reduced subcortical dopaminergic tone, evidence of early neurodevelopmental deviation, and acoustic startle abnormalities in schizophrenia, we examined acoustic startle in adult animals depleted of dopamine (DA) as neonates. Male rat pups received intracerebroventricular injections of either 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 100 micrograms) or its vehicle on postnatal day 3. At 60 days of age, baseline startle and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle were assessed in a no injection condition, with all other animals receiving injections of saline or the DA agonist, apomorphine. Acoustic startle was elicited using 120 db white noise bursts alone or preceded by prepulses of 75, 80, and 85 db. Animals treated with 6-OHDA exhibited a 93% depletion of striatal DA compared to vehicle-treated controls. Whereas DA depleted animals did not differ from controls in the no injection condition, they showed greater baseline startle and reduced PPI compared to controls after saline injections. Depleted animals also showed exaggerated responses to apomorphine, with greater increases in baseline startle, loss of habituation, and decreased PPI compared to controls. Findings indicate that neonatal DA depletions lead to increased baseline startle and impaired sensory gating in adulthood after saline injections and dopamine agonists compared to controls. These findings may be relevant to a subgroup of psychotic patients that exhibit similar startle abnormalities as well as signs of hypodopaminergic function.

D-1 and D-2 receptor mediation of sensorimotor behavior in rats depleted of dopamine during development

The effects of selective D-1 and D-2 antagonists on sensorimotor behavior were studied in rats treated with 6-OHDA or its vehicle solution on either postnatal day 3, 20, or 35. Blockade of either D-1 or D-2 receptors induced akinesia and somatosensory neglect in adults treated with vehicle at any of the three ages. The behavioral effects of antagonists on rats with 6-OHDA-induced dopamine depletions varied as a function of the age at the time of damage. Adults depleted of DA on Day 35 exhibited behavioral deficits after either D-1 or D-2 blockade and at doses that were ineffective in controls. Adults depleted of DA on Day 20 exhibited deficits after either D-1 or D-2 blockade but were not any more sensitive than were controls. In contrast, adults depleted of DA on Day 3 were insensitive to the behavioral effects of D-1 or D-2 blockers but were impaired after the dual administration of both antagonists. Moreover, simultaneous administration of subthreshold doses of D-1 and D-2 antagonists produced behavioral deficits in controls and rats depleted on Day 3. These data demonstrate that activity within residual DA neurons remains critical for the expression of sensorimotor behavior in rats depleted of DA during development. However, the specific contribution of D-1 and D-2 receptors to these behaviors depends upon the animals' age at the time of depletion.

Dopamine D1 receptor behavioral responsitivity following selective lesions of the striatal patch compartment during development

The behavioral effects of selective destruction of the dopamine (DA) input to the patch compartment of rat striatum early in development was investigated. Rat pups were given bilateral intrastriatal (i.s.) injections of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on day of birth (P0) or postnatal day 1 (P1), which resulted in selective behavioral alterations following DA agonist treatment in adulthood. Neonatally-lesioned rats exhibited self-biting behavior following treatment with the DA precursor L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). In response to treatment with the selective D1 agonist SKF38393, there was an increased incidence of abnormal perioral movements. The cataleptogenic effects of the D1 antagonist SCH23390 and the D2 antagonist haloperidol were also studied. Neonatally-lesioned rats were significantly less cataleptic compared to control rats following D1 antagonist treatment, but not following D2 antagonist treatment. Autoradiographs of [3H]mazindol binding to DA uptake sites (a measure of DA terminal density) showed a 'patchy' loss of approx. 40-50% in striatal tissue sections derived from the i.s. lesioned rats. These data suggest that injections of 6-OHDA into the striatum during this early postnatal period cause a DA lesion that results in long-term effects on a D1 receptor system.

Infant rats depleted of brain dopamine as neonates exhibit normal independent ingestion

Weanling or adult rats that have sustained near-total depletions of striatal dopamine (DA) on postnatal Day 3 do not exhibit the severe ingestive deficits seen in comparably depleted adults. The present experiments demonstrated that these animals are capable of ingesting independently, via an intraoral cannula, as early as three days after the depletion. Both activational and ingestive responses to maternal deprivation and intracellular dehydration were virtually identical to the responses of control pups. However, these responses may not be entirely dopaminergically mediated at Day 6 since administration of haloperidol failed to attenuate these behaviors in normal pups. When tested on Day 12, DA-depleted pups continued to exhibit normal ingestive and activational behaviors, despite the fact that haloperidol now suppressed these behaviors in both groups of 12-day-old pups. These findings demonstrate that there is a developmental progression of dopaminergic involvement in the control of independent ingestion and the associated activational responses, yet a near-total depletion of striatal DA is not sufficient to impair the expression of these behaviors.

D1 and D2 receptor contributions to ingestive and locomotor behavior are altered after dopamine depletions in neonatal rats

The effects of selective D1 and D2 antagonists on ingestive and locomotor behavior were studied in adult rats depleted of dopamine (DA) as neonates and their vehicle-treated controls. Blockade of either D1 or D2 receptors inhibited food intake and produced akinesia in control animals. Simultaneous administration of subthreshold doses of these antagonists produced similar behavioral deficits, indicating a synergism between the two receptor subtypes. In contrast, adults depleted of DA as neonates were unaffected by either D1 or D2 blockade. However, combined administration of these antagonists produced behavioral deficits comparable to those seen in controls. These data demonstrate that while activity within residual DA neurons remains critical for the expression of ingestive and locomotor behavior in rats depleted of DA as neonates, the precise nature of the interactions between the D1 and D2 receptor subtypes is altered after the depletion.

Dopamine D1 receptor development depends on endogenous dopamine

Profound depletion of forebrain dopamine by 6-hydroxydopamine in neonatal rats (day 3) was associated with up to 82% loss of D1 receptor sites labeled with [3H]SCH-23390 at day 21. Administration of the selective D1 agonist SKF-38393 (days 6-18) abolished the correlation between D1 receptor density and DA concentrations, even with greater than 99% depletion of DA. In intact control animals, there was an inverse correlation between spontaneous variation in levels of DA and D1 receptor site density in forebrain tissue (r = -0.79) which also was abolished by treatment with the D1 agonist. Thus, D1 receptor density may be regulated by reciprocal regulatory processes during normal development, but may fail to develop in the absence of an adequate level of stimulation.

Similar post-lesion receptor readjustments following the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the dopaminergic mesotelencephalic system in neonatal and adult rats

The ascending dopaminergic system of adult or 3-day-old rats has been unilaterally lesioned by the intraparenchymal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine aimed at the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the lateral hypothalamus. Nigral dopaminergic neurons disappeared following the lesion on the lesioned side in both experimental groups while the depletion of the ventral tegmental area was less extensive, especially following the neonatal lesion. Striatal regions were markedly depleted of their dopaminergic innervation, although the magnitude of the depletion was slightly higher following the adult stage lesion as judged on the basis of biochemical measurements (99% vs. 96%). Amphetamine (5 mg/kg) evoked an identical ipsilateral rotational response in both experimental groups. Moreover, this rotational response was blocked both by the specific D1 receptor blocker SCH-23390 (0.1 mg/kg) and the specific D2 receptor antagonist raclopride (2 mg/kg). Likewise, contralateral rotational responses to the directly acting D1 and D2 dopamine receptor agonists SKF-38393 (2.5 mg/kg) and LY-171555 (0.15 mg/kg) were similar in both experimental groups, both qualitatively and quantitatively. These results confirm conclusions obtained in earlier works, and indicate that reported differences in behavioral deficits between animals lesioned as neonates or adults are not related to differing modifications of striatal DA receptor sensitivities.

Lesions of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system in neonatal rats: effects on the electrophysiological activity of striatal neurons recorded during adulthood

The spontaneous activity of single striatal neurons was recorded extracellularly from 3-4-month-old adult rats that had been given dopamine (DA)-depleting brain lesions 3 days after birth. Behavioral observations made prior to recording indicated no gross sensorimotor deficits, yet subsequent biochemical analyses revealed that animals had sustained near-total DA depletions (greater than 99%). Electrophysiological results showed that the firing rates of type II striatal cells were greatly increased relative to control levels. This finding contrasts sharply with the effects of DA-depleting brain lesions given to adult animals, in which similarly high levels of striatal cell activity are invariably associated with akinesia.

Dopamine depletion in neonatal rats: effects on behavior and striatal dopamine release assessed by intracerebral microdialysis during adulthood

Rats depleted of dopamine (DA) by intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in infancy show behavioral impairments as adults, but their basic sensory-motor functions and feeding abilities are intact; at least relative to the pronounced deficits seen in rats given similar treatment in adulthood. Here we investigate whether presynaptic changes culminating in enhanced DA release are present in adult rats that received neonatal damage, and whether these are of a sufficient magnitude to contribute to the sparing of function. We used microdialysis in rats during the resting state, walking on a treadmill, and after a systemic injection of amphetamine. It was found that neonatal 6-OHDA produced a nearly complete (less than 1% of control) depletion of DA in postmortem tissue, but this was not accompanied by a comparable decline in the basal extracellular concentrations of DA, which were only reduced by 12-54% of control values. In contrast, the extracellular concentrations of DA metabolites were greatly reduced, reflecting the post-mortem tissue concentrations of DA. Nevertheless, neonatally depleted animals were markedly deficient in their ability to respond to an amphetamine challenge, both behaviorally and in their ability to further increase DA release. Thus, following neonatal DA depletion there appear to be extensive changes in the few remaining DA terminals that are sufficient to maintain relatively high extracellular (and presumably synaptic) concentrations of DA during the resting state, but the capacity of the remaining DA neurons to respond to increased demand is very limited. This presynaptic compensatory response may play a role in the sparing of behavioral function seen following neonatal damage.

Dopamine neuron ontogeny: electrophysiological studies

The ontogeny of nigrostriatal dopamine (NSDA) neurons was examined with single-unit extracellular electrophysiological methods. The physiological and pharmacological characteristics of 2-, 4-, and 5-week-old rat pup NSDA neurons were compared with those of adults (8-10 weeks old). Although the basal discharge rate, conduction velocity, and firing pattern of NSDA neurons from 4- and 5-week-old rats were similar to adults, the 2-week-old-rats differed significantly in all three of these physiological characteristics. The conduction velocity and basal discharge rate were found to be significantly lower in the 2-week-old pups relative to adults. In addition, there were significantly fewer bursting NSDA neurons in 2-week-olds than there were in adults. Two and 4-week-olds exhibited significantly lower sensitivity to cumulative intravenous doses of apomorphine. In contrast, the sensitivity to cumulative intravenous doses of quinpirole was found to be similar across all age groups. It is evident that the pharmacological and physiological properties of NSDA neurons are in a dynamic state of flux during postnatal development. These electrophysiological findings are discussed in the context of the perinatal development of midbrain DA systems.

Food intake of rats depleted of dopamine as neonates is impaired by inhibition of catecholamine biosynthesis

The food intake of rats depleted of brain dopamine (DA) as neonates was markedly reduced by doses of the catecholamine synthesis inhibitor. alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMT), that had little effect on control animals. In contrast, rats depleted of DA as neonates were subsensitive to doses of the DA antagonist, haloperidol, that greatly inhibited food intake in controls. Unexpectedly, low doses of haloperidol potentiated the effects of AMT in both control and DA-depleted animals. These results suggest that activity within residual DA neurons may remain important for the expression of ingestive behavior in rats depleted of DA as neonates although the precise mechanisms may differ from those operating in normal animals.

Age-dependent plasticity in the dopaminergic control of sensorimotor development

The role of brain dopamine (DA) in the control of sensorimotor function was studied in normal rat pups and in animals depleted of DA at various stages of development. Acute administration of the DA antagonist haloperidol produced akinesia and catalepsy in normal pups as early as 3 days of age and resulted in impaired orientation to somatosensory stimulation by 15 days of age. In contrast, near-total depletions of striatal DA incurred on day 3, 15, or 20 produced no obvious deficits in sensorimotor function either soon after the depletion or after the animals reached adulthood. Rats depleted of DA on day 27 exhibited akinesia, catalepsy, and sensory neglect. These deficits resembled those seen in comparably depleted adults except that they were more transient, lasting 1 week rather than 4-5 weeks. Moreover, while rats depleted as adults became akinetic and cataleptic after the stress of a cold water swim, animals depleted on day 27 did not. These findings demonstrate that DA is involved in sensorimotor function during early development. The data also reveal an impressive degree of plasticity in the neural controls of sensorimotor function and that the extent of this plasticity is dependent upon the age at the time of damage.

Neonatal dopamine-rich grafts and 6-OHDA lesions independently provide partial protection from the adult nigrostriatal lesion syndrome

Previous studies have shown that neonatally dopamine-depleted rats are subsensitive to dopamine antagonists and do not respond to homeostatic imbalances as adults. This suggests that these animals maintain themselves independent of the dopamine system. If this is so, they should be insensitive to treatment with adult 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions. Other experiments have shown that dopamine-rich grafts in the neonatal brain will provide some protection from the severe ingestive deficits induced by bilateral 6-OHDA lesions in adulthood. Three groups of animals received either nigra grafts into the intact neonatal brain, neonatal 6-OHDA lesions, or both neonatal 6-OHDA lesions and nigra grafts. A fourth group served as sham-operated controls. Methylamphetamine and haloperidol challenges showed that the neonatally lesioned animals regulated locomotor activity, eating and drinking independent of the dopamine system. Remarkably, however, 80% of these nevertheless showed the full syndrome of aphagia, adipsia and akinesia in response to adult lesions. The grafts into intact group showed enhanced survival in that 36% of the rats were able to maintain themselves following the adult lesion. The graft into neonatally lesioned rats restored their activational response to pharmacological challenges but did not provide any additional protection from the adult lesion. This suggests that different mechanisms underlie the protection against adult nigrostriatal lesions provided by neonatal grafts and neonatal lesions.

Hypersensitivity to alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine suggests that behavioural recovery of rats receiving neonatal 6-OHDA lesions is mediated by residual catecholamine neurones

Previous studies have shown that rats depleted of catecholamines (CA), and in particular dopamine (DA), as neonates are sub-sensitive to DA antagonists and do not respond to homeostatic imbalances as adults. This suggests that these animals maintain themselves independent of the DA system. If this were so, they would be insensitive to the disruption of residual CA function by treatment with the CA synthesis inhibitor alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (alpha-MT). By contrast, rats that received neonatal injections of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) showed a marked increase in sensitivity to alpha-MT when tested as adults. This suggests that they remain dependent upon residual CA neurones for the maintenance of normal eating.