Lesion of subthalamic or motor thalamic nucleus in 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats: effects on striatal glutamate and apomorphine-induced contralateral rotations.

A unilateral lesion of the rat nigrostriatal pathway with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) results in a decrease in the basal extracellular level of striatal glutamate, a nearly complete loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunolabeling, an increase in the density of glutamate immunogold labeling within nerve terminals making an asymmetrical synaptic contact, and an increase in the number of apomorphine-induced contralateral rotations. [Meshul et al. (1999) Neuroscience 88:1-16; Meshul and Allen (2000) Synapse 36:129-142]. In Parkinson's disease, a lesion of either the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or the motor thalamic nucleus relieves the patient of some of the motor difficulties associated with this disorder. In this rodent model, either the STN or motor thalamic nucleus was electrolytically destroyed 2 months following a unilateral 6-OHDA lesions. Following a lesion of either the STN or motor thalamic nucleus in 6-OHDA-treated rats, there was a significant decrease (40-60%) in the number of apomorphine-induced contralateral rotations compared to the 6-OHDA group. There was a significant decrease (<30%) in the basal extracellular level of striatal glutamate in all of the experimental groups compared to the sham group. Following an STN and/or 6-OHDA lesion, the decrease in striatal extracellular levels was inversely associated with an increase in the density of nerve terminal glutamate immunolabeling. There was no change in nerve terminal glutamate immunogold labeling in either the motor thalamic or motor thalamic plus 6-OHDA lesion groups compared to the sham group. The decrease in the number of apomorphine-induced rotations was not due to an increase in TH immunolabeling (i.e., sprouting) within the denervated striatum. This suggests that alterations in striatal glutamate appear not to be directly involved in the STN or motor thalamic lesion-induced reduction in contralateral rotations.