ABSTRACT
The contents of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites, homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid(DOPAC), in both striata were determined with HPLC-EC technique in each of 28 albino rats, which were divided into 3 groups (bilateral lesioned, unilateral lesioned and healthy control groups). Among the unilateral lesioned rats, three indices such as DA, HVA/DA and DOPAC/DA in the lesioned striata were 22.27％, 420.00％ and 199.75％ of those of the intact striata, respectively. This suggests that there may be an enhanced compensatory DA release in the striatum ipsilateral to the lesion of the rat. Having compared the lesioned striata of unilateral lesioned rats with those of bilateral lesioned animals, and the intact striata of unilateral lesioned rats with those of the control ones, we did not find any significant differences in DA, HVA/DA or DOPAC/DA. The result implies that the compensatory DA release in the lesioned striatum probably accounts for the mechanism of the ipsilateral nigrostriatal system, not for the crossed nigrostriatal fibers.