Postural asymmetry and movement disorder after unilateral microinjection of adrenocorticotropin 1-24 in rat brainstem.

A unilateral microinjection of adrenocorticotropin 1-24 in the rat brainstem in the region of the locus ceruleus resulted in postural asymmetry and movement disorder that resembled human dystonia, the severity and duration (2 to 3 days) being dose-dependent. These results show for the first time that neuropeptides in the brainstem may modulate posture and movement, and they suggest that some forms of movement disorder such as dystonia may be due to a disordered regulation of postural and locomotor mechanisms by adrenocorticotropin 1-24.