Striatal lesions with kainic acid: neurochemical characteristics

Stereotaxic injection of 2.5 microng of kainic acid, a rigid analogue of glutamate into the rat striatum caused a 70% reduction in the striatum of the cholinergic parameters, choline acetyltransferase, acetylcholine and synaptosomal uptake of choline and a similar reduction in the GABAergic parameters, glutamic acid decarboxylase, psi-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and synaptosomal uptake of GABA. In contrast, the striatal content of dopamine and the synaptosomal uptake of dopamine were unchanged, and the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase was significantly increased. Significant changes in the activity of neurotransmitter synthesizing enzymes were demonstrable within 6h after injection of 2.5 microng of kainic acid and maximal effects occurred at 48h; the activities of choline acetyltransferase and glutamic acid decarboxylase remained depressed up to 21 days after injection. The kinetic characteristics of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase were altered 48h after injection with a two-fold increase in the Vmax for tyrosine and a three-fold reduction in Km for the pteridine cofactor. In contrast to the effects of kainic acid, the injection of copper sulfate, a non-specific toxin, caused a proportionate reduction in the dopaminergic as well as...Continue Reading