Methylprednisolone treatments alter apomorphine-induced circling in the rat model of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced striatal denervation.

Intrastriatal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine causes significant depletion of dopamine which is associated with contralateral apomorphine-induced rotation in rats. Pretreatment with methylprednisolone (MP) causes almost complete elimination of the apomorphine-induced behavioral responses. In addition, there were significant differences between the lateralization effects of the neurotoxin on the levels of striatal dopamine. These results suggest that MP may have ameliorative effects against the motoric behavioral changes associated with the intrastriatal injection of 6-OHDA.