Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2007 Jul 17.
Published in final edited form as: Neurobiol Dis. 2007 Jan 25;26(2):312–322. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2006.12.021

Figure 2. Nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in parkin knockout mice does not show increased sensitivity to acute MPTP intoxication.

Figure 2

Eight-week-old male wild-type and parkin knockout mice were subjected to the acute paradigm of either saline or MPTP injections (20mg MPTP/kg four times, once every 2h). (A) TH immunostaining of SN and striatum shows significant loss of TH staining after MPTP. No significant differences are observed between wild-type and parkin knockout mice receiving the same treatment (saline or MPTP) (Scale bar=200μm). (B) Stereological neuronal counts of TH-immunopositive and total (i.e. Nissl-positive) neurons in wild-type and parkin knockout mice were analyzed 7 days after the last MPTP injection. While MPTP treatment causes a significant reduction in TH-immunopositive and total neurons, no significant differences in neuronal counts are observed between wild-type and parkin knockout mice receiving the same treatment (saline or MPTP). (C) Striatal levels of dopamine and its metabolites DOPAC and HVA in wild-type and parkin knockout mice were analyzed 7 days after last MPTP injection. No differences are seen among wild-type and parkin knockout mice receiving the same treatments (saline or MPTP). Data represent mean ± SEM. *p< 0.05, statistical significance versus saline controls using ANOVA followed by Student-Newman-Keuls test, n=5–6 per group, n.s not significant.