Bromocriptine treatment in a murine parkinson's model: Ultrastructural evaluation after dopaminergic deafferentation

• Published in: International journal of neuroscience 2005-06, Vol.115 (6), p.851-859
• Main Authors: Avila-Costa, Maria Rosa, Coli'n-Barenque, Laura, Montiel-Flores, Enrique, Aley-Medina, Patricia, Valdez, Ana Luisa Gutiérrez, Librado, José Luis Ordóñez, Martinez, Erick Flores, Martinez, Verónica Anaya, Mussali-Galante, Patricia, Fortoul, Teresa I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomical correlates of behavior; Animals; antioxidants; Antiparkinson Agents - therapeutic use; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; bromocriptine; Bromocriptine - therapeutic use; caudate nucleus; Caudate Nucleus - metabolism; Caudate Nucleus - ultrastructure; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Male; Motor Endplate - metabolism; Motor Endplate - ultrastructure; neuroprotection; oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Parkinson Disease - diagnosis; Parkinson Disease - drug therapy; Parkinson Disease - metabolism; Parkinson's disease; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; ultrastructure
• ISSN: 0020-7454; 1563-5279; 1543-5245
• DOI: 10.1080/00207450590897059

The objective of this article was to identify the effects of bromocriptine on the ultrastructure of the caudate nucleus in rats with a 6-hydroxidopamine (6-OHDA) unilateral lesion of the substantia nigra pars compacta. Eighteen Wistar male rats were stereotactically lesioned with 6-OHDA (n = 12), or sham lesioned (n = 6). Two days after rotational behavior was tested, and 2 days later, 6 rats were treated with 0.3 mg/Kg bromocriptine orally for a month and 6 rats were kept for the same time without treatment. The neuropile of the sham operated and bromocriptine-treated rats was well preserved contrary to the non-bromocriptine-treated rats. Also, it was found that there was a significant difference in the number of synaptic endings with edema in caudate of bromocriptine-treated rats compared with non-treated rats; however, the size of the synaptic endings were different to those found in the sham lesioned rats. Also, as in the sham lesioned group, the bromocriptines showed more synaptic contacts with dendritic spines contrasting to the non-treated group. The results suggest that bromocriptine possesses antioxidant properties because it decreased the ultrastructural alterations after 6-OHDA lesion.