Excitotoxic Lesions of the Rodent Striatum

This chapter reviews the most common methods and protocols used to induce and assess excitotoxic lesions of the rodent striatum. Excitotoxic agents act through glutamate receptors to initiate intracellular cascades that can result in neuronal degeneration via both apoptotic and necrotic mechanisms. Whether it is glutamate, an endogenous excitatory amino acid, or an analogue, the neurotoxic potential of the excitotoxin is dose dependent. Excitotoxic lesions of the striatum, whose post-synaptic neurones are rich in glutamate receptors, make it possible to investigate structural and functional aspects and to establish animal models of certain basal ganglia diseases that can serve as a platform to investigate numerous therapeutic avenues. Although the rodent striatum is a relatively large target, the delivery of the excitotoxin requires precise spatial and temporal delivery that can be achieved only with stereotactic surgery.