Use of 6-hydroxydopamine to create lesions in catecholamine neurons in rats

The authors report experiments in rats with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a chemical agent used for creating lesions in catecholamine neurons. Stereotaxic injection of 6-OHDA into the compact zone of the substantia nigra induced degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) system, confirmed by histology and histochemistry of the substantia nigra and by dopamine determinations in the neostriatum. These observations closely mimic those found in Parkinson's disease. In the experimental model a rotatory behavior is induced by DA agonists; this response has been used to test drugs for potential therapeutic use and also in basic studies of the extrapyramidal system. This technique may be useful in developing other experimental models for neurosurgical problems involving catecholamine pathways.