Long-term changes in striatal opioid systems after 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of rat substantia nigra

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The effects of unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the nigrostriatal pathway on striatal opioid peptides and receptors were determined at different time-intervals, from three days up to 24 weeks, post-lesion. Mu, delta and kappa opioid binding site densities in the ipsilateral caudate-putamen were decreased by 25–50% in rats which exhibited a greater than 90% loss of dopamine uptake sites. Differentiation of radioligand binding to kappa 1 and kappa 2 subtypes demonstrated a selective loss of kappa 2 sites post-lesion. The onset of significant 6-hydroxydopamine lesion-induced changes in striatal opioid binding sites was delayed with respect to the loss of dopamine uptake sites. Furthermore, maximal loss of dopamine uptake sites was apparent within seven days post-lesion, but not until two to four weeks for mu, delta and kappa sites. In animals which exhibited an incomplete loss of dopamine uptake sites (less than 80%) there was no significant change in opioid binding site density. Striatal proenkephalin and prodynorphin messenger RNA levels were increased and decreased, respectively, after complete 6-hydroxydopamine lesion. Modulation of peptide messenger RNA levels was apparent within seven days and was maintained up to 24 weeks post-lesion. In contrast, proenkephalin and prodynorphin messenger RNA levels were unchanged in animals which exhibited an incomplete loss of striatal dopamine uptake sites. Taken together, these observations suggest that the majority of mu, delta and kappa 2 opioid binding sites are localized on non-dopaminergic elements in the caudate-putamen, but that substantia nigra innervation plays a role in the control of striatal opioid receptor expression. The 6-hydroxydopamine lesion-induced decreases in striatal opioid binding site density may, in part, be a function of agonist-induced receptor downregulation. Alternatively, both opioid receptor and peptide expression in the caudate-putamen may be directly, but independently, regulated by ventral mesencephalic neurons.