Little is known about changes of ambulatory activity in diabetic animals. The present study was undertaken to determine such activity in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In addition, the turnover of dopamine in the rat striatum, which has been thought to be closely related to locomotor activities, was investigated.
The results of the present study were as follows:
Experiment 1. Ambulatory activity was gradually decreased following increase in the blood glucose level. The degree of the decrease was signficantly related to the elevation of blood glucose level (r=-0.76, p< 0.05)
Experiment 2. We measured the turnover rate of dopamine as DOPAC (3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid)(ng/g)/DA (Dopamine)(ng/g). In diabetic rats, dopamine turnover rate was significantly decreased (STZ-Gronp 0.102± 0.003 vs. Control Group 0.112± 0.003 (p< 0.05)). The ratio of the decrease was also significantly correlated with the elevation of blood glucoseluevel (r==0.693, p< 0.01).
It is suggested that the change of dopamine turnover in the striatum may play an important role, at least in part, in ambulatory activity.
