Abstract
Background Parkinson's disease is a human neurodegenerative disorder which is mainly characterized by a massive and progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). The most widely used animal models of Parkinson's disease involve intracranial infusion of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) directly into the ascending dopaminergic forebrain bundle, thereby, inducing severe dopaminergic neuronal degeneration associated with profound deficits in feeding, drinking, sensorimotor and learning functions [1-4]. The aim of the present work was to study the effects of right-unilateral 6-OHDA lesions of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) on learning and memory processes evidenced by means of Y-maze task and shuttle-box task, respectively. We also examined the effect of nicotine treatment on the 6-OHDA lesioned rats. Our data suggest that a correlation exist between VTA, SNr and nAchRS and expression of cognitive capacities.
Highlights
Parkinson's disease is a human neurodegenerative disorder which is mainly characterized by a massive and progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN)
We examined the effect of nicotine treatment on the 6-OHDA lesioned rats
Male Wistar rats were subjected to right-unilateral 6hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) (8μg/4μl) lesions of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), or were sham lesioned, and nicotine treatment and their ability to acquire the operant task was studied by means of Y-maze task and shuttle-box task, respectively
Summary
Parkinson's disease is a human neurodegenerative disorder which is mainly characterized by a massive and progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). The most widely used animal models of Parkinson's disease involve intracranial infusion of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) directly into the ascending dopaminergic forebrain bundle, thereby, inducing severe dopaminergic neuronal degeneration associated with profound deficits in feeding, drinking, sensorimotor and learning functions [1-4]. The aim of the present work was to study the effects of right-unilateral 6-OHDA lesions of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) on learning and memory processes evidenced by means of Y-maze task and shuttle-box task, respectively. We examined the effect of nicotine treatment on the 6-OHDA lesioned rats. Our data suggest that a correlation exist between VTA, SNr and nAchRS and expression of cognitive capacities
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