Autoimmune-induced damage of the midbrain dopaminergic system in lupus-prone mice

Spontaneous development of lupus-like disease is accompanied by impaired dopamine catabolism and degenerating axon terminals in the mesencephalon of MRL-lpr mice. We presently examine the hypothesis that systemic autoimmunity affects the central dopaminergic system in behaviorally impaired animals. The functional damage of the nigrostriatal pathway was assessed from rotational behavior after a single injection of the D1/D2-receptor agonist …