Changes in the firing pattern of globus pallidus neurons after the degeneration of nigrostriatal pathway are mediated by the subthalamic nucleus in the rat

Changes in the neuronal activity of globus pallidus (GP) have been shown in animal models of parkinsonism. In order to study the implication of the su bthalamic nucleus (STN) in these changes, the effects of STN lesions alone or in combination with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) -induced damage to the su bstantia nigra compacta (SNc) were examined in rats using electrophysiologi cal recordings of GP cells. In normal rats, the firing rate was 22.1 +/- 1. 4 spikes/s. The pattern was regular in 45%, irregular in 49% and bursty in 6% of the cases. In rats with STN lesions, the firing rate of GP units (20. 15 +/- 1.25 spikes/s) did not differ from that of normal rats and only regu lar (46%) and irregular (54%) cells were found; a bursty pattern was not ob served. 6-OHDA lesions of the SNc induced no change in the firing rate of G P neurons (21.5 +/- 1.4 spikes/s, P > 0.05) but a Significant decrease in t he percentage of regular cells (27%, P < 0.001), a significant increase in burst cells (21%, P < 0.001) with no change in the percentage of irregular units (52%) were observed. In rats with combined SNc and STN lesions, the f iring pattern did not change from that of normal rats. The present results show that STN lesions induced the disappearance of bursts in normal rats an d normalization of firing pattern in the GP units of rats with 6-OHDA lesio ns suggesting that the STN plays an important role in the modulation of the pattern of activity of GP neurons which may account for the therapeutic ef fect of STN lesions in Parkinson's disease.