Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Comprehensive Profiling of Dopamine Regulation in Substantia Nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area
Published on: August 10, 2012
Age-related changes in nigrostriatal dopaminergic function are accentuated in +/- brain-derived neurotrophic factor
D E Dluzen1, J L McDermott, L I Anderson
1Department of Anatomy, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, 4209 State Route 44, PO Box 95, Rootstown, OH 44272-0095, USA. ded@neoucom.edu
Abstract:
The effects of a deletion for the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) allele (+/- BDNF) upon age-related changes in nigrostriatal dopaminergic (NSDA) function were assessed. Behavioral (beam crossing and spontaneous activity) and neurochemical (potassium-stimulated dopamine release from superfused striatum) measures were compared among Young (4-5 month), Middle (11-13 month) and Aged (19-21 month) +/- BDNF and their wild type littermate control (+/+ BDNF) mice. No statistically significant differences were obtained between +/+ and +/- BDNF mice at the Young age sampling period for any of the behavioral or neurochemical measures. Behavioral and neurochemical responses indices of NSDA function begin to diverge between +/+ and +/- Middle age BDNF mice and maximal differences were observed at the Aged period. For both movement and stereotypy times, scores obtained from +/+ mice were significantly decreased compared with +/- BDNF mice at the Aged period and center time scores of +/+ mice were decreased at both the Middle and Aged periods compared with +/- BDNF mice. Neurochemically, potassium-stimulated DA release of +/+ mice was significantly greater than +/- BDNF mice with maximal differences obtained at the Aged period. These results demonstrate marked differences in age-related changes of NSDA function between +/+ and +/- BDNF mice and suggest that the deletion of one allele for BDNF may make these mice more susceptible to age-related declines in NSDA function.
