Intracranial infusion of monoamine-activated alpha 2-macroglobulin decreases dopamine concentrations within the rat caudate putamen.

Intracranial infusion of monoamine-activated alpha 2-macroglobulin decreases dopamine concentrations within the rat caudate putamen.

Hu Y Q; Dluzen D E; Koo P H

Journal of neuroscience research

1994

1994-08

Monoamine-activated alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) has been shown to inhibit choline acetyltransferase in basal forebrain neurons as well as neurotrophin-dependent neuronal functions. The objective of this study was to determine whether monoamine-activated alpha 2M can affect the caudate putamen (CP) dopaminergic system in vivo. Male rats received intracranial infusions of methylamine-activated alpha 2M (0.6 nmole) and contralateral infusions of its vehicle, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Five days following infusion, the animals were killed, the CP dissected into three rostral-caudal segments, and assayed for dopamine (DA) using a high-performance liquid chromatography system. Within the two rostral CP segments (the approximate site of cannula placement), statistically significant (26%) reductions of DA concentrations were obtained on the alpha 2M-infused side of the CP with 90-100% of the animals showing decreases. At a more distal (caudal) site of the CP, DA concentrations showed only an insignificant (12%) reduction. No differences in DA concentrations between sides infused with bovine serum albumin versus PBS or from olfactory tubercle samples were obtained in these animals. These results demonstrate that monoamine-activated alpha 2M is capable of producing significant degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in vivo and suggest that this factor may play a role in age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

*Nerve Degeneration; alpha-Macroglobulins/*pharmacology/physiology/toxicity; Animals; Caudate Nucleus/*drug effects/metabolism; Dopamine/*metabolism; Infusion Pumps; Male; Putamen/*drug effects/metabolism; Rats; Sprague-Dawley

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