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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 4/2008

01-04-2008 | Original article

Quinolinic acid induced neurodegeneration in the striatum: a combined in vivo and in vitro analysis of receptor changes and microglia activation

Authors: R. M. Moresco, T. Lavazza, S. Belloli, M. Lecchi, A. Pezzola, S. Todde, M. Matarrese, A. Carpinelli, E. Turolla, V. Zimarino, P. Popoli, A. Malgaroli, F. Fazio

Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Issue 4/2008

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Abstract

Purpose

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which is characterised by prominent neuronal cell loss in the basal ganglia with motor and cognitive disturbances. One of the most well-studied pharmacological models of HD is produced by local injection in the rat brain striatum of the excitotoxin quinolinic acid (QA), which produces many of the distinctive features of this human neurodegenerative disorder. Here, we report a detailed analysis, obtained both in vivo and in vitro of this pharmacological model of HD.

Materials and methods

By combining emission tomography (PET) with autoradiographic and immunocytochemical confocal laser techniques, we quantified in the QA-injected striatum the temporal behavior (from 1 to 60 days from the excitotoxic insult) of neuronal cell density and receptor availability (adenosine A2A and dopamine D2 receptors) together with the degree of microglia activation.

Results

Both approaches showed a loss of adenosine A2A and dopamine D2 receptors paralleled by an increase of microglial activation.

Conclusion

This combined longitudinal analysis of the disease progression, which suggested an impairment of neurotransmission, neuronal integrity and a reversible activation of brain inflammatory processes, might represent a more quantitative approach to compare the differential effects of treatments in slowing down or reversing HD in rodent models with potential applications to human patients.
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Metadata
Title
Quinolinic acid induced neurodegeneration in the striatum: a combined in vivo and in vitro analysis of receptor changes and microglia activation
Authors
R. M. Moresco
T. Lavazza
S. Belloli
M. Lecchi
A. Pezzola
S. Todde
M. Matarrese
A. Carpinelli
E. Turolla
V. Zimarino
P. Popoli
A. Malgaroli
F. Fazio
Publication date
01-04-2008
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging / Issue 4/2008
Print ISSN: 1619-7070
Electronic ISSN: 1619-7089
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-007-0651-7

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