[A comparative study of hemantane and amantadine effects on dopamine transporter expression in brain of normal and MPTP-treated C57BL/6 mice].

ABSTRACT

The effects of acute and subchronic administration of antiparkinsonian drugs hemantane and amantadine on dopamine transporter (DAT) content in the brain of normal and MPTP-treated mice have been studied. MPTP treatment (30 mg/kg, daily for 2 days, i.p.) led to an insignificant decrease of the DAT level in striatum, while not influencing the DAT content in the frontal cortex of mice. The acute administration of hemantane (20 mg/kg, i.p.) failed to influence the DAT levels in the tested structures of mice brain, while amantadine (13.9 mg/kg, i.p) decreased the DAT level but only in striatum. The acute administration of a drug (hemantane or amantadine) simultaneously with MPTP toxin reduced the DAT levels in striatum but did change the DAT concentration in the frontal cortex. On the contrary, the subchronic injection of hemantane alone (7 x 20 mg/kg, i.p.) and in combination with the toxin increased the DAT levels in the brain structures, while amantadine (7 x 13.9 mg/kg, i.p.) led to a pronounced increase of DAT concentration only in the striatum. Thus, both similar and dissimilar trends in the neurochemical effects of hemantane and amantadine have been experimentally revealed.