Protective effects of PACAP in excitotoxic striatal lesion

The present article investigated the effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) treatment in a quinolinic acid (QA)-induced unilateral lesion of the striatum, a model of Huntington;s disease (HD). PACAP was given locally, preceding the lesion. Behavioral analysis was performed after 1, 10, and 30 days, when motor activity and asymmetrical signs were evaluated. Three weeks after the treatment, a catalepsy test was performed by haloperidol administration, and finally histological assessment of the striatum was done. Our results show that PACAP treatment attenuated the behavioral deficits and reduced the number of lesioned neurons in the striatum.