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Effect of Chronic Treatment with Riluzole on the Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic System in Weaver Mutant Mice

The effects of a chronic treatment with the anti-glutamate and sodium channel modulating neuroprotective agent riluzole on the degeneration of dopamine-containing neurons were studied in the brain of weaver mutant mice. In these animals, as in Parkinson's disease, dopaminergic neurons of the ni...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Experimental neurology 2002-07, Vol.176 (1), p.247-253
Main Authors: Douhou, Aı̈cha, Debeir, Thomas, Murer, Mario Gustavo, Do, Louis, Dufour, Noëlle, Blanchard, Véronique, Moussaoui, Saliha, Bohme, Georg Andrees, Agid, Yves, Raisman-Vozari, Rita
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Language:English
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Summary:The effects of a chronic treatment with the anti-glutamate and sodium channel modulating neuroprotective agent riluzole on the degeneration of dopamine-containing neurons were studied in the brain of weaver mutant mice. In these animals, as in Parkinson's disease, dopaminergic neurons of the nigro-striatal pathway undergo spontaneous and progressive cell death. Homozygous weaver mice were orally treated twice a day with either 8 mg/kg riluzole or placebo for 2 months. Quantification of tyrosine-hydroxylase and dopamine-transporter axonal immunostaining in the striatum revealed that riluzole significantly increased the density of striatal dopaminergic nerve terminals. These results suggest that riluzole protects dopaminergic processes in the weaver mice and/or promotes their neuroplasticity.
ISSN:0014-4886
1090-2430
DOI:10.1006/exnr.2002.7935