Robust preclinical models of Parkinson's disease (PD) are valuable tools for understanding the biology and treatment of this complex disease. 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is a selective catecholaminergic drug injected into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), medial forebrain bundle (MFB), or striatum, which is then metabolized to induce parkinsonism. Unilateral injection of 6-OHDA produces loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons on the injected side with a marked motor asymmetry known as hemiparkinsonism, typically characterized by a rotational behavior to the impaired side. The present work describes a stable unilateral 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD. 6-OHDA was administered into the MFB, leading to the consistent loss of striatal dopamine (DA) and behavioral imbalance in unilateral 6-OHDA-lesioned rats to establish the model of PD. This model of PD is a valuable tool for understanding the mechanisms underlying the generation of parkinsonian symptoms.
Keywords: 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA); Animal model; Dopaminergic neuron; Medial forebrain bundle; Parkinson’s disease (PD); Rat; Unilateral.
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