Ultrastructural changes in the brain of rats administered with 6-hydroxydopamine

Adult Wistar rats were treated with 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 200-500 micrograms) by intraventricular injection. Two, five, seven or 14 days after the injection, the effects of 6-OHDA on rat behavior and the brain ultrastructure were observed. The increased irritability and the tendency of a decrease in self-grooming along with a reduced spontaneous movement were found in rats given 6-OHDA. The main ultrastructural alterations were observed in the nerve terminals localized in the catecholaminergic neurons, particularly the hypothalamic axon terminals. These ultrastructural changes might relate to the behavioral abnormalities in the animals.