FIG. 3.

Effect of NDI1 on biogenic amine levels in the striatum of chronic MPTP/probenecid-treated mice. The levels of DA(a), the major metabolite of DA, DOPAC (b), and serotonin or 5-HT (c) were measured in each side of neostriatum from control (N = 5) and chronic MPTP/probenecid-treated mice 5 weeks after treatment, which had been pretreated without (N = 5) or with (N = 7) NDI1 gene for 8 months. Bilateral loss of over 90% of DA and DOPAC was detected in the striatum of chronic parkinsonian mice 5 weeks after systemic injections with MPTP/probenecid (a and b). The striatal content of 5-HT was not affected by the chronic MPTP/probenecid treatment (c). A partial prevention of DA and DOPAC loss was detected in the right striatum of the chronic parkinsonian mice, which had been pretreated (right hemisphere) ipsilaterally with rAAV-Ndi1 8 months before the chronic MPTP/probenecid treatment (a and b). The striatal content of 5-HT was not affected by the rAAV-NDI1 pretreatment in chronic parkinsonian mice (c). Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. ***p < 0.001; **p < 0.01. MPTP, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; DA, Dopamine; DOPAC, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid; 5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine; SEM, standard error of the mean; LH, left hemisphere; RH, right hemisphere; Prob., probenecid.