ENHANCED EXPRESSION OF TYROSINE-HYDROXYLASE AND AROMATIC L-AMINO-ACID DECARBOXYLASE IN CEREBELLAR PURKINJE-CELLS OF MOUSE AFTER HYPEROSMOTIC STIMULI

We examined by immunohistochemistry the effect of salt loading on the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), and GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH) in Purkinje cells of the mouse cerebellum. In control mice, only a few Purkinje cells were positive for TH or AADC. No Purkinje cells were stained for GCH. Drinking 2% sodium chloride for 2 weeks resulted in an increase in the number of TH- or AADC-positive Purkinje cells in the caudal vermis, paraflocculus and flocculus of the cerebellum. In contrast, no Purkinje cells were immunoreactive to GCH or L-DOPA after the salt loading. The present findings suggest that the salt loading differentially affects the expression of TH, AADC and GCH in Purkinje cells of the mouse cerebellum.