C-FOS ANTISENSE GENERATES APOMORPHINE AND AMPHETAMINE-INDUCED ROTATION

SODIUM pentobarbital anaesthetized rats were injected ipsilaterally wi th an antisense oligonucleotide to c-fos and contralaterally with a se nse oligonucleotide to c-fos in the striatum. Ten hours later they wer e injected with amphetamine or apomorphine and their behaviour was obs erved for a further 2 h at which time they were overdosed with anaesth etic and their brains were removed, frozen and processed for Fos and J un B immunohistochemistry. Rats showed amphetamine- and apomorphine-in duced rotation towards the antisense injected striatum. The antisense oligonucleotide also strongly inhibited the amphetamine-induced expres sion of c-Fos and Jun B in striatal neurones. These results suggest th at antisense to c-fos produces a biochemical change in the injected st riatum that then, 10 h later, blocks amphetamine- and apomorphine-indu ced behavioural and biochemical effects.