COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DRUG-INDUCED PARKINSONISM LIKE BEHAVIORS IN C57BL6 BLACK MICE USING A FORCE PLATE ACTIMETER.

This study aims to compare the Parkinsonism behavior induced by two drugs: Tacrine (9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroaminoacridine hydrochloride hydrate and MPTP (1-methyl, 4-phenyl 1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyrolidine) using a Force Plate Actimeter (FPA). 25 C57BL/6 black mice were equally divided into two groups for 5mg/kg tacrine and 30mg/kg MPTP experiment. Both groups contained sham, 5mg/kg tacrine or 30mg/kg MPTP group and sinemet group (oral administration of 10mg/kg sinemet (levodopa:carbidopa in 4:1) prior to intraperitoneal injection of 5mg/kg tacrine or 30mg/kg MPTP).  Mice were immediately kept inside FPA to record their behavior. Distance travelled, bout of low mobility (BLM) and power spectra of parkinsonian symptoms shown by both drugs were computed. Both neurotoxins reduced the motor abilities of mice in comparison with sham. Oral treatment of sinemet improved their disability. According to power spectra analysis, tacrine had only one significant narrow peak from 10-12 Hz while MPTP exhibited one to four peaks from 8 to 12 Hz. This might be because the behavior expected from tacrine is lateral movement of jaw (facial part) whilst that of MPTP is rigidity and tremor (facial, trunk and tail portion). This experiment indicates that both tacrine and MPTP can possibly impair motor functions of C57BL/6 black mice. It is possible to use these results to create Parkinsonism model in laboratory by the use of FPA. This model may be used to evaluate capability of new anti parkinsonian drugs to improve motor abilities in rodents