Dopamine-depleting effects of MPTP and reserpine in weaver mutant mice

The number of nigral dopamine neurons and striatal dopamine levels are reduced by 70% in the adult weaver mutant mouse (wv/wv), whereas these parameters are essentially unchanged in the heterozygote (wv/+). We hypothesized that the remaining nigral dopamine neurons and/or striatal dopamine levels in the weaver would be less sensitive to neurotoxic or dopamine-depleting agents and that nigral neurons in the heterozygote would be more vulnerable. Mice were treated with the dopaminergic neurotoxin MPTP using different injection schedules and also with reserpine. There was a similar percent decrease in striatal DA in weavers and heterozygotes compared to normal mice after these treatments. We did observe a gene-dose-related lethality to the highest dose treatment with MPTP. These results suggest that the remaining dopaminergic neurons in the weaver are not different from those in normal mice in their capacity to respond to MPTP and reserpine.