ACUTE AND CHRONIC BEHAVIORAL SEQUELAE RESULTING FROM INTRASTRIATAL INJECTION OF AN NMDA AGONIST

Unilateral and bilateral injections of cis-2,4-methanoglutamate, a pot ent and selective NMDA agonist, were made into the striatum of rats. U nilateral injections elicited MK-801-sensitive dose-related increases in contralateral turning, beginning 10-15 min after injection. Bilater al injections elicited typical seizure-like behaviours commencing appr oximately 80 min postinjection. Forty-eight hours after unilateral inj ection, and presumably after lesion development, no spontaneous prefer ence for turning was seen. Upon challenge with apomorphine (1 mg/kg SC ), ipsilateral turning lasting approximately 60 min was seen. Correlat es are drawn between this model and some of the features of Huntington 's disease.