Loss of intrinsic striatal neurons after methylazoxymethanol acetate treatment in pregnant rats.

Treatment of pregnant rats with methylazoxymethanol (MAM) induces a marked microencephaly in the offspring. The striatum is one of the brain areas affected by treatment. We show that in striatum there is a 30% loss of dopamine (DA)-dependent adenylate-cyclase activity: this indicates that cells bearing type 1 DA receptors are affected by MAM treatment. Moreover, since kainic acid retains its neurotoxic activity, corticostriatal fibers do not seem to be affected, despite the dramatic reduction of cortex size.