6 ohda hydrochloride

The experimental design was performed according to a previously described procedure (25 (link)). Twenty minutes before surgery, rats were injected intra-peritoneally with pargyline (50 mg/kg, Sigma, Saint-Quentin Fallavier, France). Rats were anesthetized with isoflurane (4%, 500 mL/min) and placed on a stereotaxic apparatus (Stoelting, Phymep, Paris, France) and maintained under isoflurane 2.5% (500 mL/min) during surgery. The skull was exposed and small holes were made with a dental drill. Lesion was carried out by unilateral intrastriatal injection of 6-OHDA hydrochloride (1 mg/mL, Tocris Bioscience, Bristol, UK). A total of 10 μg of 6-OHDA was administered in two areas of the right striatum (1 mg/mL in 0.01% ascorbic acid, pH 4.5, i.e., 5 μg in 5 μL for each area) with a Hamilton syringe (gage 25, Hamilton, Massy, France) at a flow rate of 1 μL/min. Coordinates from bregma were AP = +0.5 mm, L = −2.5 mm, P = −5 mm, and AP = −0.5 mm, L = −4 mm, P = −5 mm according to Paxinos and Watson atlas (26 ). The needle was left in place for 4 min after injection and then removed slowly to optimize toxin diffusion. After surgery, the rats were given buprenorphine (0.05 mg/kg sub-cutaneously) for postoperative pain and were allowed to recover from surgery for 7 days before being subjected to the imaging experiments.