Treadmill running combined with microdialysis can evaluate motor deficit and improvement following dopaminergic grafts in 6-OHDA lesioned rats.

To evaluate the physiological role of striatal dopamine (DA) during exercise and the mechanism of functional recovery mediated by grafted DAergic neurons, the locomotor ability (treadmill running) and DA turnover were investigated using treadmill running combined with in vivo microdialysis in the intact control rats, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats (hemi-parkinsonian model rats) and DAergic cell grafted rats. The 3 groups of rats were trained to run on a straight treadmill at a speed of 1,800 cm/min for 20 min every day for 7 consecutive days. If the rats could not follow the speed they got electrostimulation (ES) from the grid behind the treadmill belt. The numbers of ES rats received during treadmill running were counted to quantify the locomotor ability. Control rats could keep up with the treadmill easily (0-1 ES/10 min), whereas lesioned rats could not follow the speed (80-100 ES/10 min). Most of the grafted rats received only a few ES, but a few received over 100 ES/10 min. Extracellular DA and its metabolites, dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA), were measured by in vivo microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) during and after treadmill running. In control rats the basal levels of DA, DOPAC and HVA were 2.3 fmol/μl, 1,109.8 fmol/μl and 612.2 fmol/μl, respectively. They increased up to 130%, 140% and 160% by running. In 6-OHDA lesioned rats basal values of DA, DOPAC and HVA were less than 10% of controls. We did not perform microdialysis in these rats since they got too much ES during running. In grafted rats that showed good recovery in locomotor ability, DA returned to almost control level (1.9 fmol/μl), but those of DOPAC (127.8 fmol/μl) and HVA (100.2 fmol/μl) were still low. DA, DOPAC and HVA increased up to 130%, 130% and 150% by running in a similar pattern as in intact rats. These results suggest that grafted neurons can release and metabolize DA in the host striatum both tonically and phasically in relation with internal and external stimuli and also suggest that treadmill running ability is a good indicator of DA turnover in the striatum. Thus, the treadmill running test with microdialysis is useful for quantitative evaluation of motor function in grafted animals.