Transcranial Focal Electrical Stimulation Modifies Biogenic Amines’ Alterations Induced by 6-Hydroxydopamine in Rat Brain

Transcranial focal stimulation (TFS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation strategy with neuroprotective effects. On the other hand, 6-hidroxidopamine (6-OHDA) induces neurodegeneration of the nigrostriatal system producing modifications in the dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and histaminergic systems. The present study was conducted to test whether repetitive application of TFS avoids the biogenic amines’ changes induced by the intrastriatal injection of 6-OHDA. Experiments were designed to determine the tissue content of dopamine, serotonin, and histamine in the brain of animals injected with 6-OHDA and then receiving daily TFS for 21 days. Tissue content of biogenic amines was evaluated in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and striatum, ipsi- and contralateral to the side of 6-OHDA injection. Results obtained were compared to animals with 6-OHDA, TFS alone, and a Sham group. The present study revealed that TFS did not avoid the changes in the tissue content of dopamine in striatum. However, TFS was able to avoid several of the changes induced by 6-OHDA in the tissue content of dopamine, serotonin, and histamine in the different brain areas evaluated. Interestingly, TFS alone did not induce significant changes in the different brain areas evaluated. The present study showed that repetitive TFS avoids the biogenic amines’ changes induced by 6-OHDA. TFS can represent a new therapeutic strategy to avoid the neurotoxicity induced by 6-OHDA.