Frontal cortex ablation reversibly decreases striatal zif/268 and junB expression: Temporal correspondence with sensory neglect and its spontaneous recovery

This study's goal is to identify subcortical adaptations that may contribute to recovery of function following cortical injury. After unilateral aspiration of the medial agranular region of frontal cortex (AGm), rats demonstrate neglect of contralateral stimuli and recover within 3–4 weeks. Previous studies indicate that compensatory neural alterations involving dopamine (DA) occur following this cortical injury and that recovery from neglect produced by frontal injury is accompanied by normalization of glucose utilization within subcortical structures including the basal ganglia. The current study examined Zif and JunB, IEG protein products constitutively expressed in striatum, rendering it possible to investigate the effects of unilateral AGm ablation on striatal function during unstimulated as well as amphetamine‐stimulated conditions. Five days after surgery, when contralateral neglect was still evident, the numbers of Zif‐like or Jun‐like immunoreactive (IR) nuclei in the ipsilateral striata of AGm‐ablated rats were reduced. These lesion effects were similar for both constitutive and amphetamine‐stimulated IEG expression and were restricted to the dorsolateral caudate‐putamen, where excitatory input from AGm is most dense. In contrast, 3 or more weeks after AGm ablation, in rats demonstrating recovery, normal striatal Zif‐ and JunB‐like immunoreactivity occurred. Thus, striatal zif/268 and junB expression is reduced 5 days after AGm injury in rats demonstrating neglect and normalized 3 or more weeks later in recovered rats. These findings indicate that adaptations involving the striatal medium spiny neuron, a site of convergence of cortical glutamatergic and nigral dopaminergic afferents, may contribute to behavioral recovery following neocortical injury. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.