Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP 19.031, 81.531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil. anete@ufpr.br
Abstract:
The immunostaining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) after intranigral infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 6 microg/side) was analyzed in ovariectomized adult female Wistar rats. Estrogen replacement for 52 days (400-microg 17-beta-estradiol capsules) did not prevent the loss of TH-immunoreactive cells induced by 6-OHDA in the SNpc. This result indicates that the neuroprotective effect of dopaminergic mesencephalic cells is not observed with long-term estrogen replacement.