Abstract
N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4) is a noradrenergic neurotoxin which selectively damages noradrenergic projections originating from the locus coeruleus (LC) and transiently alters sympathetic neurons in the periphery. DSP-4 accumulates intraneuronally and produces nerve terminal degeneration via alkylation of diverse neuronal structures. DSP-4 inhibits norepinephrine (NE) reuptake, stimulates NE release, and increases turnover rate of NE. Systemic administration of DSP-4 has a rapid dose-dependent depleting effect on the endogenous NE level. The effect of DSP-4 is largely restricted to noradrenergic neurons; however, DSP-4 slightly reduces the level of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine. The rat age at the time of DSP-4 injection is important in determining the nature of the long-term changes in the noradrenergic system. Thus, DSP-4 treatment of adult rats produces morphological changes of NE neurons with a pronounced decrease in NE levels in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, spinal cord, and cerebellum. Less affected are the hypothalamus and pons-medulla. This process is not long lasting and after several months a regeneration of NE nerve terminals is observed. DSP-4 injected to newborn rats induces an alteration of the postnatal development of noradrenergic system with a permanent NE denervation in brain areas distal to LC cell bodies (cortex and hippocampus) and a hyperinnervation in regions proximal to LC (brainstem, cerebellum, and pons-medulla). This type of hyperinnervation does not exist after DSP-4 treatment of adult animals. The noradrenergic lesion obtained with DSP-4 is highly reproducible; therefore, DSP-4 may represent a suitable tool to discern LC neuron degeneration and recovery and to investigate the projections of non-coerulean NE neurons.
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- 5-HIAA:
-
5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid
- 5-HT:
-
Serotonin
- AD:
-
Aldehyde dehydrogenase
- AR:
-
Aldehyde reductase
- CNS:
-
Central nervous system
- COMT:
-
Catechol-O-methyl transferase
- DA:
-
Dopamine
- DAT:
-
Dopamine transporter
- DBH:
-
Dopamine-β-hydroxylase
- DHPG:
-
3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylene glycol
- DOPAC:
-
3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid
- DSP-4:
-
N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine
- GABA:
-
γ-aminobutyric acid
- i.p.:
-
Intraperitoneal injection
- i.v.:
-
Intravenous injection
- LC:
-
Locus coeruleus
- MAO:
-
Monoamine oxidase
- MHPG:
-
3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene glycol
- NE:
-
Norepinephrine
- NET:
-
Norepinephrine transporter
- OCTs:
-
Organic cation transporters
- s.c.:
-
Subcutaneous injection
- SERT:
-
Serotonin transporter
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Bortel, A. (2014). Nature of DSP-4-Induced Neurotoxicity. In: Kostrzewa, R. (eds) Handbook of Neurotoxicity. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5836-4_75
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