Glial activation is associated with l-DOPA induced dyskinesia and blocked by a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

l-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is the most effective treatment for Parkinson's disease but can induce debilitating abnormal involuntary movements (dyskinesia). Here we show that the development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in the rat is accompanied by upregulation of an inflammatory cascade involving nitric oxide. Male Wistar rats sustained unilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the medial forebrain bundle. After three weeks animals started to receive daily treatment with L-DOPA (30 mg/kg plus benserazide 7.5 mg/kg, for 21 days), combined with an inhibitor of neuronal NOS (7-nitroindazole, 7-NI, 30 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (saline-PEG 50%). All animals treated with L-DOPA and vehicle developed abnormal involuntary movements, and this effect was prevented by 7-NI. L-DOPA-treated dyskinetic animals exhibited an increased striatal and pallidal expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in reactive astrocytes, an increased number of CD11b-positive microglial cells with activated morphology, and the rise of cells positive for inducible nitric oxide-synthase immunoreactivity (iNOS). All these indexes of glial activation were prevented by 7-NI co-administration. These findings provide evidence that the development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in the rat is associated with activation of glial cells that promote inflammatory responses. The dramatic effect of 7-NI in preventing this glial response points to an involvement of nitric oxide. Moreover, the results suggest that the NOS inhibitor prevents dyskinesia at least in part via inhibition of glial cell activation and iNOS expression. Our observations indicate nitric oxide synthase inhibitors as a therapeutic strategy for preventing neuroinflammatory and glial components of dyskinesia pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease.