Effects of unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions on neuropeptide immunoreactivity in the basal ganglia of the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, a quantitative immunohistochemical analysis

• Published in: Journal of chemical neuroanatomy Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 155 - 164
• Main Authors: Roeling, T.A.P., Docter, G.J., Voorn, P., Melchers, B.P.C., Wolters, E.Ch, Groenewegen, H.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.10.1995
• Subjects: Animals; Basal Ganglia - drug effects; Basal Ganglia - metabolism; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Callithrix; Callithrix jacchus; Dopamine; Dopamine - physiology; Dopamine Agents - toxicity; Enkephalin, Methionine - metabolism; Enkephalins - metabolism; Immunohistochemistry; Methionine-enkephalin; Monkey; MPTP Poisoning; Neostriatum - metabolism; Neuropeptides - metabolism; Oxidopamine - toxicity; Quantitative immunohistochemistry; Striatum; Substance P; Substance P - metabolism; Sympatholytics - toxicity; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase - metabolism; Striatum; Quantitative immunohistochemistry; Dopamine; Methionine-enkephalin; Substance P; Monkey
• ISSN: 0891-0618; 1873-6300
• DOI: 10.1016/0891-0618(95)00072-0

Previous immunocytochemical studies in rats have indicated that striatal dopamine depletion leads to an increase in enkephalin-immunoreactivity and a decrease in substance P-immunoreactivity in the striatum. Similar studies in primates have lead to contradictory results. In the present study changes in tyrosine hydroxylase-, met-enkephalin- and substance P-immunoreactivity were determined in the basal ganglia of 6 common marmosets Callithrix jacchus following dopamine depletion by unilateral intracerebral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injections using three different survival times. The non-lesioned side served as an intra-individual control. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity was strongly reduced in the entire ipsilateral striatum. Enkephalin-immunoreactivity was increased throughout the striatum. Substance P-immunoreactivity was significantly increased in only one case in the caudate nucleus and in two cases in the putamen, while in other cases either a non-significant increase or decrease was found. Therefore, the results of the present study indicate that in marmosets dopamine has a inhibiting effect on the levels of striatal enkephalin, while its effect on substance P (SP) appears to be absent.