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Dear jmp: Are the zitter mutant rats perchance related to the mutant worms? Only kidding. Appreciate your mining expositions. Caffeined Caroley P.S. What ARE zitter mutant rats? --- janet marie paterson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Age-related dopamine deficiency > in the mesostriatal dopamine system of zitter mutant > rats: > regional fiber vulnerability in the striatum and the > olfactory tubercle. > > Oxidant stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of > Parkinson's disease. > > To test the oxidant stress hypothesis of dopaminergic > degeneration, age-related changes in the mesostriatal > dopamine neuron system were compared between zitter > mutant rats which have abnormal metabolism of oxygen > species in the brain and Sprague-Dawley rat as a control > using the neurochemistry and immunohistochemistry. > > Dopamine content in the caudate-putamen, nucleus > accumbens and olfactory tubercle of zitter rats decreased > significantly with age, and was lower than that found in > corresponding age-matched controls. > > In the zitter rats, the reduction of dopamine was more > prominent in the caudate-putamen than in the nucleus > accumbens and olfactory tubercle. > > A characteristic decline of tyrosine > hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers in the caudate-putamen > of the zitter rat was also observed. > > In the dorsolateral caudate-putamen, reduction of > tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers was observed > in the matrix-like area, whereas in the ventromedial > caudate-putamen the reduction occurred in the patch-like > areas. > > Degeneration of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive > fibers which was characterized by swollen varicosities > and clustered fibers was observed in the caudate-putamen > and nucleus accumbens and preceded loss of normal > tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers in the > caudate-putamen. > > Thus, the depletion of dopamine in the terminal areas is > related to axonal degeneration. > > However, there was no degenerative tyrosine > hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers in the olfactory > tubercle at any examined age, but reductions of tyrosine > hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers and dopamine contents > were noted in the olfactory tubercle after four > months-of-age. > > Since the zitter rats have an abnormal oxygen metabolism, > the degeneration of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive > fibers could result from an accumulation of superoxide > species. > > The present results provide support for the oxidant > stress hypothesis of dopaminergic neuronal degeneration > and further indicate the region-specific vulnerability of > the nigrostriatal dopamine system. > > > Neuroscience 2000;95(2):389-98 > Ueda S, Aikawa M, Ishizuya-Oka A, Yamaoka S, Koibuchi N, > Yoshimoto K > Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, > Japan. > > PMID: 10658618, UI: 20121705 > > <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=10658618&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b> > > janet paterson > 52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset > a new voice: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ > 613 256 8340 PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario Canada K0A 1A0 > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com