Science, Vol 195, Issue 4273, 78-80
Copyright © 1977 by American Association for the Advancement of Science
Activation of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway by injection of cholera enterotoxin into the substantia nigra
LF Quenzer,
CL Galli,
and
NH Neff
Twenty-four hours after unilateral injection of cholera enterotoxin into the rat substantia nigra there is an increase, in the striatum on the injected side, of basal adenylate cyclase activity, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. Moreover, there is an increase of motor activity, and rats tend to circle contralateral to the side of the injection. Injection of cholera enterotoxin into brain nuclei may be a useful procedure for pharmacologically activating selected neuronal systems of brain and for studying the pharmacology of drugs that are suspected of interacting with these systems.
