Cognitive impairment and anxiety-like behavior characterization in a rat experimental model of dopaminergic depletion induced by 6-OHDA neurotoxicity

CHAMPARINI, LEANDRO GABRIEL; HERRERA, MACARENA LORENA; JÁVEGA COMETTO, MATÍAS; HEREÑÚ, CLAUDIA BEATRIZ

Congreso; XXXVI Congreso anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2021

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

Parkinson´s disease results from a progressive dopaminergic neuronal loss, characterized by multiple, motorand non-motor symptoms. Currently its diagnosis is based on motor deficits, but a variety of previous andcoexisting non-motor symptoms result from dysfunction of interconnected systems. We aimed to determine, ina rat model of neurotoxicity, the progression of working memory deficits and anxiety-like behavior and itscorrelation with cellular changes. Animals were injected with 6OHDA in dorsal lateral striatum (DLS) or withcontrol solution (experimental or control groups, respectively). Independent groups of rats were tested onlyonce in a behavioral task after 2 and 3 weeks (Y-maze, elevated plus maze and locomotor activity test). Then,they were perfused and IHC processed for neurons, astrocytes and microglia cell markers in the substantianigra, DLS, dorsal hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area. Two weeks post lesion therewere no significant changes in any behavioral task. We observed working memory and anxiety-like behaviorimpairments in 6OHDA rats after 3 weeks of neurodegeneration, without motor alterations. These resultscould be associated with a partial lesion of the nigrostriatal DA system and glial cells number changes observedin brain regions. We concluded that a single bilateral infusion of 6OHDA induced non-motor alterations thatpreceded locomotor deficits in the employed dopamine depleted animal model.