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Biomedical subjects

R H Roth

Publications and source records attributed to R H Roth.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Symptomatic and asymptomatic 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-treated primates: biochemical changes in striatal regions.

Administration of the neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, to primates produces an excellent behavioral model of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. In the vervet monkey, regional biochemical differences in the striatum of two 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-treated groups were examined one to two months after treatment and compared with controls; one group displayed no observable gross motor abnormalities after 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine treatment (asymptomatic), whereas the other group became markedly parkinsonian (symptomatic). In both 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-treated groups massive depletions of dopamine and homovanillic acid concentrations were observed in the striatum; generally, dopamine losses in the symptomatic group (greater than 95%) were greater than in the asymptomatic group (greater than 75%). However, in striatum, a marked heterogeneity in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine susceptibility was found; certain striatal regions having 99% depletion of dopamine even in asymptomatic monkeys. Overall, in ventromedial regions of striatum the losses of dopamine and homovanillic acid concentrations were less than in dorsolateral regions at the same coronal level. There was a significant negative correlation between control homovanillic acid/dopamine ratios and susceptibility of examined regions to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine toxicity. Unlike idiopathic, but similar to postencephalitic, Parkinson's disease, dopamine and homovanillic acid levels in caudate nucleus were not spared relative to putamen; in fact, in the asymptomatic group caudate nucleus dopamine and homovanillic acid concentrations were depleted to a greater extent than in putamen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

The effects of perinatal diazepam exposure on stress-induced activation of the mesotelencephalic dopamine system.

The effects of perinatal diazepam exposure of rats on stress-induced metabolic activation of the mesotelencephalic dopamine (DA) system were examined. Footshock stress parameters were selected such that DA turnover was increased in the prefrontal cortex and certain mesolimbic dopaminergic regions; a stress-induced activation of striatum was not observed. Perinatal treatment with the anxiolytic benzodiazepine diazepam (days E8 through the first week after gestation) did not alter basal dopamine turnover in the prefrontal cortex or striatum, or in any of the mesolimbic sites examined except for the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area (in which turnover was decreased). However, perinatal exposure to diazepam significantly reduced the magnitude of the stress-elicited increase in prefrontal cortical dopamine turnover, and conversely resulted in a stress-induced enhancement of turnover in the striatum. These data suggest that although perinatal exposure to diazepam may alter basal dopaminergic function in some regions, certain enduring changes in dopamine function in other mesotelencephalic DA sites are revealed only under conditions that result in perturbation of central dopamine neurons, such as environmental stress. These data also suggest that perinatal benzodiazepine exposure may be reflected in the adult in a decreased ability to cope with stress.

Animals↗

Stimulation-induced release of coexistent transmitters in the prefrontal cortex: an in vivo microdialysis study of dopamine and neurotensin release.

Extracellular fluid levels of dopamine and neurotensin in the rat prefrontal cortex were measured using in vivo microdialysis. Electrical stimulation of the median forebrain bundle resulted in increased release of both dopamine and neurotensin from the prefrontal cortex. Thus, stimulation of neurons in which dopamine and neurotensin are colocalized can evoke the in vivo release of both substances.

Animals↗

Effects of dopamine depletion on striatal neurotensin: biochemical and immunohistochemical studies.

Interactions between striatal dopamine (DA) and neurotensin (NT) have been suggested by anatomical, behavioral, and biochemical studies. Nigrostriatal DA neurons, in contrast to mesocorticolimbic DA neurons, do not appear to contain NT. Thus, distinct neuronal elements subserve interactions between DA and NT within the striatum. We have previously demonstrated that reserpine-induced depletion of striatal DA is accompanied by a dose- and time-dependent increase in striatal NT concentrations. In order to further characterize the effects of reserpine and to define the mechanism by which reserpine acts to increase striatal NT concentrations, we have used immunohistochemical and biochemical approaches. Immunohistochemical examination of rats pretreated with reserpine revealed marked increases in the density of NT-like immunoreactive (NT-li) perikarya and fibers, and the development of NT-li patches. Pretreatment with reserpine had no apparent effect on NT synthesis, as assessed by examination of cycloheximide-induced inhibition of protein synthesis. However, reserpine administration resulted in a significant decrease in the release of both DA and NT into the striatal extracellular fluid, as measured by in vivo microdialysis. These data suggest that the increase in striatal NT concentrations observed after reserpine treatment results from decreased release, rather than increased synthesis of the peptide.

Animals↗

Dopamine and neurotensin storage in colocalized and noncolocalized neuronal populations.

The effects of reserpine on dopamine (DA) and neurotensin (NT) levels were studied in four different brain regions of the rat. Reserpine (0.5-5.0 mg/kg i.p., 6, 18, 48 and 72 hr) produced a dose- and time-dependent decrease in both DA and NT levels in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region innervated by a mixed DA/NT projection. The effect of reserpine was not mimicked by alpha-methylparatyrosine (200 mg/kg i.p.) pretreatment. Furthermore, the reserpine-induced decline in prefrontal cortex DA and NT levels occurred after gamma-butyrolactone (GBL)-induced inhibition of impulse flow (750 mg/kg i.p.). In contrast, in the nucleus accumbens and striatum, regions which contain colocalized (nucleus accumbens) and intrinsic (striatum and nucleus accumbens) neurotensin perikarya, reserpine produced declines in DA and increases in NT levels. alpha-Methylparatyrosine decreased striatal and nucleus accumbens DA levels without altering NT levels in these structures. GBL produced an increase in DA levels in the nucleus accumbens and striatum while decreasing nucleus accumbens and striatal NT levels. Reserpine attenuated the decline in nucleus accumbens and striatal NT levels produced by GBL. In the periaqueductal grey, a brain region densely innervated by NT which has a small population of DA perikarya, reserpine had no effect on NT levels. Because there is no known colocalization of DA and NT in the striatum, the increases in striatal NT levels after depletion of DA may indicate that striatal DA afferents control the release and/or synthesis of NT within NT cells in the striatum, thus leading to alterations in striatal tissue levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

4-Butyrolactone↗

Cryopreservation, culture, and transplantation of human fetal mesencephalic tissue into monkeys.

Studies in animals suggest that fetal neural grafts might restore lost neurological function in Parkinson's disease. In monkeys, such grafts survive for many months and reverse signs of parkinsonism, without attendant graft rejection. The successful and reliable application of a similar transplantation procedure to human patients, however, will require neural tissue obtained from human fetal cadavers, with demonstrated cellular identity, viability, and biological safety. In this report, human fetal neural tissue was successfully grafted into the brains of monkeys. Neural tissue was collected from human fetal cadavers after 9 to 12 weeks of gestation and cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. Viability after up to 2 months of storage was demonstrated by cell culture and by transplantation into monkeys. Cryopreservation and storage of human fetal neural tissue would allow formation of a tissue bank. The stored cells could then be specifically tested to assure their cellular identity, viability, and bacteriological and virological safety before clinical use. The capacity to collect and maintain viable human fetal neural tissue would also facilitate research efforts to understand the development and function of the human brain and provide opportunities to study neurological diseases.

Animals↗

Regulation of A8 dopamine neurons by somatostatin.

The effects of depletion of somatostatin in the region of the retrorubral field on in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation in the A8 cell group were assessed. Local injections of cysteamine into the central amygdaloid nucleus, source of a somatostatin input to the A8 cell group region, or directly into the retrorubral field resulted in an increase in in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation in the A8 cell group. Levels of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the retrorubral field were decreased by approximately 50% by the cysteamine treatment. These data suggest that somatostatin may hold A8 dopamine neurons under tonic inhibition.

Amygdala↗

Biochemical analysis of caudate nucleus biopsy samples from parkinsonian patients.

Biochemical analyses of caudate nucleus biopsy samples from patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing autologous adrenal transplantation were performed. Activity of the dopamine biosynthetic enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, and concentrations of dopamine and its primary metabolite homovanillic acid were significantly greater than anticipated on the basis of previously published postmortem values. These data suggest that postmortem changes in various biochemical parameters of dopamine function are more rapid than has been generally appreciated. Further analysis of striatal biopsy samples may reveal predictive relationships between striatal indices of dopamine function and therapeutic response to adrenal transplantation.

Adult↗

Clonidine infusions into the locus coeruleus attenuate behavioral and neurochemical changes associated with naloxone-precipitated withdrawal.

Clonidine, an alpha-2-adrenergic agonist, suppresses signs of opiate withdrawal in animals and in man. Electrical or chemical stimulation of the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) increases noradrenergic activity and brain concentration of the noradrenergic metabolite MHPG, and produces many signs of opiate withdrawal. Thus, clonidine's ability to attenuate withdrawal might be due to the reduction of noradrenergic neuronal activity originating in the LC, but additional alpha-2-adrenergic receptors throughout the body and other mechanisms may also play a role. The present study explored the neuroanatomical and pharmacological selectivity of alpha-2-adrenergic receptors of the LC in the anti-withdrawal action of clonidine. Experiment 1 tested the hypothesis that behavioral and biochemical measures of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal from morphine would be blocked by infusions of clonidine (0.6 or 2.4 micrograms/microliters) into the LC. Significant reductions were observed in the occurrence of diarrhea, ptosis, weight loss and wet-dog shakes. Clonidine also reversed the naloxone-precipitated increase in hippocampus MHPG concentration. In experiment 2 subjects received an LC infusion or IP injection of a non-lipophilic alpha-2-agonist (ST-91), which does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier, or of clonidine into the dorsal parabrachial nucleus (DPB) to test the selectivity of the effects of clonidine infusions into the LC. ST-91 infusions into the LC reduced several of the observed withdrawal signs and increased others (e.g., jumping). Although peripheral injections of ST-91 attenuated some of the checked signs associated with naloxone-precipitated withdrawal, the frequency of wet-dog shakes was not reduced. ST-91 infusions into the LC, but not systemic ST-91 administration, prevented the withdrawal-induced increase in hippocampus MHPG concentration. Clonidine infused lateral to the LC into the DPB did not significantly attenuate withdrawal or reduce hippocampus MHPG levels. These results provide behavioral and biochemical evidence to support the suggestion that clonidine significantly attenuates naloxone-precipitated withdrawal through an interaction with noradrenergic neurons located in the vicinity of the LC.

Animals↗

Telencephalic projections of the A8 dopamine cell group.

The telencephalic projections of the A8 dopamine cell group of the rat were assessed using both anterograde and combined retrograde-immunohistochemical methods. The projections of the A8 neurons onto the forebrain were more extensive than hitherto realized, and encompassed striatal, limbic, and allocortical regions. The A8 neurons were shown to contribute to the dopaminergic innervation of the striatum, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercles, amygdala, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and also innervate the pyriform and entorhinal cortices. In addition, projections within the midbrain were observed, and suggested that there may be direct interconnections between the dopaminergic neurons of the A8, A9, and A10 cell groups. These data therefore suggest that the A8 dopamine cell group is uniquely situated to modulate functional activity within both nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic regions, and further suggests that heterogeneities of the midbrain dopamine neurons are embedded within a larger homogeneous mesotelencephalic dopamine system.

Animals↗

The effects of pertussis toxin on autoreceptor-mediated inhibition of dopamine synthesis in the rat striatum.

Activation of synthesis-modulating dopamine autoreceptors by dopamine or its agonists has been shown to inhibit dopamine synthesis in the rat striatum. However, systemic administration of the direct-acting dopamine agonist apomorphine failed to inhibit dopamine synthesis in striata from rats that had received local unilateral administration of pertussis toxin. Apomorphine did reduce dopamine synthesis by greater than 50% in sham injected control rats as well as in the striata opposite to the side of pertussis toxin injection. Examination of G proteins in striatal tissue revealed that 61% of the G proteins were ADP-ribosylated in vivo by direct pertussis toxin injection. These data suggest that guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins mediate the effects of activation of striatal synthesis-modulating dopamine autoreceptors.

4-Butyrolactone↗

Intracerebral grafting and culture of cryopreserved primate dopamine neurons.

Dopamine neurons from the ventral midbrain and olfactory bulb of fetal and postnatal African green monkeys were frozen, stored in liquid nitrogen for intervals of 4-28 days, thawed, and tested for viability and growth following intracerebral transplantation into 3 adult monkeys. Well developed tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons from all donors were seen in intracerebral transplants at 7-50 days after grafting. Freeze-stored neurons also were tested at various intervals by Trypan blue dye exclusion and development in tissue culture. More than 99% of the cryopreserved cells from both pre- and postnatal donors were viable by dye exclusion, and fetal tissue developed neuronal morphology in culture. This evidence further supports the fact that primate neurons survive intracerebral transplantation, even after cryopreservation and storage. The ability to store, transport and verify the transmitter phenotype of neurons offered by this approach is pertinent to possible therapeutic applications.

Animals↗

Stress-induced alterations in neurotensin, somatostatin and corticotropin-releasing factor in mesotelencephalic dopamine system regions.

The effects of exposure to acute mild footshock stress on concentrations of neurotensin-, somatostatin-, and corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity (li) in mesotelencephalic dopamine system regions of the rat were examined. Mild stress exposure resulted in a selective and regionally specific increase in neurotensin-li concentrations in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), source of the dopaminergic innervation of the mesocortical and mesolimbic dopaminergic terminal fields. Concentrations of somatostatin- or corticotropin-releasing factor-li were not changed in any area examined. Levels of the dopamine metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, were increased only in the VTA and medial prefrontal cortex. These data suggest that neurotensin in the VTA may be involved in environmentally elicited activation of certain mesotelencephalic dopamine neurons.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

Effects of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on catecholamines and metabolites in primate brain and CSF.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) administration is able to produce nigrostriatal damage and motor disabilities in primates similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. Two months after MPTP treatment in African Green monkeys, significant depletions of dopamine (DA) and/or homovanillic acid (HVA) were found in the dorsal ventral tegmental area, and septum, but not in the ventral part of the ventral tegmental area or nucleus accumbens. However, DA losses were greater at all examined sites in the striatum. In putamen and caudate nucleus the decreases in DA and HVA appeared more marked dorsolaterally than ventromedially. After MPTP treatment the ratio HVA/DA was elevated in the septum and all striatal regions; in the striatum the increases in ratio were greater in the dorsolateral than in the ventromedial samples. NE concentration was not significantly altered by MPTP in the mesolimbic system. In control animals the HVA concentration and the ratio HVA/DA were higher in the putamen than in the caudate nucleus. A longitudinal study showed that CSF HVA and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol were reduced by MPTP and remained below baseline level for 12 months after MPTP treatment. This biochemical study indicates that in the monkey MPTP is able to induce selective damage within both the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic DA systems.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗