Changes induced by 6-hydroxydopamine in the paraventricular nucleus. A correlated fluorescence microscopic/electron microscopic evaluation.

Remodelling of catecholaminergic (CA) fibers after cerebral intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OH-DA) administration was evaluated quantitatively in the paraventricular nucleus ( PAR) of young adult rats, using fluorescence microscopy (FM) and electron microscopy (EM). Fluorescent CA varicosities and CA boutons (marked with 5-OH-DA) were counted after survival periods of 4, 21, 56 or 180 days. Four days after 6-OH-DA treatment, the number of fluorescent varicosities dropped to 45% of control numbers but was restored to 79% of control values by 180 days. In the EM study, marked boutons had dropped more dramatically: to 12% of control numbers, after 4 days and 54% by 180 days post-neurotoxin. These data provide strong evidence that substantial but incomplete restoration of CA terminals occurred in PAR. It is of interest that, in all survival intervals, percentage reductions in numbers of CA terminals were more extreme when EM was used for quantification. Nevertheless, the trends indicating partial restoration of terminal numbers with time were parallel in the FM and EM studies. Structures identified as CA growth cones in PAR contained a feltwork of fine filaments together with mitochondria, granular vesicles (often with electron-dense cores marked by the 5-OH-DA label), vacuoles and smooth-surfaced reticulum. The presence of growth cones, some of which persisted 11 months after neurotoxin administration, further supports the inference that a regenerative response of CA elements was evoked in PAR by the 6-OH-DA treatment.