Figure 8.

High-dose intrastriatal recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)2/1-V16-hGDNF injection mediates doxycycline-dependent amphetamine-induced behavioral asymmetry but no reduction of weight gain. Recombinant AAV2/1-V16-hGDNF or rAAV2/1-V16-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) viral suspensions were stereotaxically-injected in the right striatum at two different doses: 8.0 × 10⁹ (a,c) and 2.5 × 10¹⁰ vg (b,d). Animals (n = 8 per group) were treated with Dox at doses of 0.025, 0.075. 0.2, and 1 g/kg diet or untreated (no Dox). (a,b) Eight weeks later, amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally and rotational behaviour was assessed during 60 minutes and recorded every 10 minutes. The values indicate the net number of full contralateral turns (counter-clockwise minus clockwise) per 10 minutes. N = 8 for all groups. ^#P < 0.05; ^##P < 0.01 versus EGFP group; *P < 0.05 versus no Dox group. (c,d) The rats’ weight was recorded at the day of vector injection and 80 days after starting the Dox treatment. Data are expressed relative the EGFP group which is set at 100%. The difference between glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and EGFP-injected rat’s weight was not significant (n = 8 per group).