GROUPS of eight rats received unilateral, intrastriatal injections of
22.5 mu g brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)or cytochrome c on 3
consecutive days. Following the injection of BDNF or cytochrome c on
the second day, each animal received an intrastriatal injection of 25
mu g of C-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). During the second week following t
reatment and thereafter, the animals that received BDNF had significan
tly fewer apomorphine-induced, contraversive rotations than did the an
imals that received cytochrome c. The animals that received BDNF but n
ot those that received cytochrome c had a halo of dopaminergic axons a
round the injection site. Our data indicate that BDNF can attenuate th
e loss of dopaminergic axons and rotational asymmetry that result from
an intrastriatal injection of 6-OHDA.