Rat unilateral 6-OHDA lesion model of Parkinson's symptoms

Sprague-Dawley rats with 6-OHDA lesions were obtained from Taconic (Rensselaer, NY). For the lesion surgery rats (~175 g) were anesthetized with isoflurane and given desipramine to protect noradrenergic neurons (10 mg/kg). The medial forebrain was targeted using AP:−4.3 mm; ML:−1.2 mm; DV:8.3 mm using a 30 G cannula. A total of 14.3 u μg of 6-OHDA + 2% ascorbic acid in a volume of 4 μl was infused at 0.5 μl/min. The cannula was left in place post-infusion for 5 min. To assess the extent of the lesion animals were given an apomorphine (0.05 mg/kg S.C.) challenge 21 day after the lesion surgery. Matched sham lesioned animals from the same source received exactly the same procedures except saline was infused into the brain. Only animals with more than 180 contralateral rotations over 30 min or more than 30 rotations in multiple 5 min intervals were used for the study. Experiments began 12 weeks after lesion. Animals were adults (~20 weeks old) at the time of the rotation study with lesioned animals between 460–550 g and sham animals between 475–670 g.