Donaldson I M, Dolphin A, Jenner P, Marsden C D, Pycock C
Brain. 1976 Sep;99(3):427-46. doi: 10.1093/brain/99.3.427.
Unilateral electrolytic lesions in the region of the locus coeruleus in rats result in contraversive circling behaviour following the administration of systemic apomorphine or dexamphetamine. In a large group of such animals there was a very good correlation between histological damage to the locus coeruleus and the presence of such rotation. There was a progressive increase in the percentage of rats showing this drug-induced behaviour as ipsilateral cerebral cortical noradrenaline content decreased. Unilateral injections of 6-OHDA produce more selective damage to the noradrenergic locus coeruleus and result in a similar, although less marked, apomorphine- and dexamphetamine-induced rotation. Unlike the rats with electrolytic lesions of the locus coeruleus, those with 6-OHDA injections did not show an increase in ipsilateral striatal dopamine content. It seems likely that the motor asymmetry seen with lesions which involve the locus coeruleus is due to damage to its noradrenergic cells. A possible explanation of the differences between electrolytic and 6-OHDA induced lesion is that the 6-OHDA produces damage to the ventral noradrenergic bundle as well as the locus coeruleus and results in an increase in ipsilateral cerebral cortical 5-hydroxytryptamine.
大鼠蓝斑区域的单侧电解损伤会导致在全身注射阿扑吗啡或右旋苯丙胺后出现向对侧旋转的行为。在一大组这样的动物中，蓝斑的组织学损伤与这种旋转行为的出现之间存在非常良好的相关性。随着同侧大脑皮质去甲肾上腺素含量的降低，表现出这种药物诱导行为的大鼠百分比逐渐增加。单侧注射6-羟基多巴胺（6-OHDA）对去甲肾上腺素能蓝斑产生更具选择性的损伤，并导致类似但不太明显的阿扑吗啡和右旋苯丙胺诱导的旋转。与蓝斑有电解损伤的大鼠不同，注射6-OHDA的大鼠同侧纹状体多巴胺含量没有增加。似乎涉及蓝斑的损伤所导致的运动不对称是由于其去甲肾上腺素能细胞受损。电解损伤和6-OHDA诱导损伤之间差异的一个可能解释是，6-OHDA除了损伤蓝斑外还损伤腹侧去甲肾上腺素能束，并导致同侧大脑皮质5-羟色胺增加。
