Striatal Glutamate and GABA after High Frequency Subthalamic Stimulation in Parkinsonian Rat

OBJECTIVE: High frequency stimulation (HFS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is recognized as an effective treatment of advanced Parkinson’s disease. However, the neurochemical basis of its effects remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of STN HFS in intact and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned hemiparkinsonian rat model on changes of principal neurotransmitters, glutamate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the striatum. METHODS: The authors examined extracellular glutamate and GABA change in the striatum on sham group, 6-OHDA group, and 6-OHDA plus deep brain stimulation (DBS) group using microdialysis methods. RESULTS: High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to quantify glutamate and GABA. The results show that HFS-STN induces a significant increase of extracellular glutamate and GABA in the striatum of 6-OHDA plus DBS group compared with sham and 6-OHDA group. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the clinical results of STN-HFS are not restricted to the direct STN targets but involve widespread adaptive changes within the basal ganglia.