The Significance of Apomorphine-Induced Rotational Behavior in Partial Lesioned Rat Parkinsonian Models with 6-hydroxydopamine.

Park, Yong Gou; Shin, Hyung Shik; Chang, Jin Woo; Chung, Sang Sup

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 1996;25(3): 483-492.

Yong Gou Park, Hyung Shik Shin, Jin Woo Chang, Sang Sup Chung

¹Department of Neurosugery, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
²Department of Neurosugery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.

ABSTRACT

An apomorphine-induced rotational test has been used in the evaluation of rat parkinsonian models lesioned with neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Previous parkinsonian rat models have generally been characterized by unilateral destruction of both nigrosriatal pathway and mesolimbic pathway using 6-OHDA. The authors created partial lesioned rat parkinsonian models using 6-OHDA in which there is destruction of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway and sparing of the mesolimbic pathway. Rats with unilateral lesions of the substantia nigra pars compacta(SNpc) were tested for rotational asymmetry using a cylindrical rotometer device with flat bottom(diameter, 30.5cm) after administration of apomorphine. After completion of the rotation test, the animals were sacrificed and their brains were immunolabeled for tyrosine hydroxylase(TH). Analysis of anatomical and behavioral data suggests that the pattern of rotation(pivotal rotation) is more reliable index for loss of TH-immunoreactive neurons in lesioned SNpc than the total number of rotational responses to apomorphine. The exact cause of the abnormal ipsiversive rotation which some rats showed is unclear. Further research should be pursued to explain this finding.