Short- and long-term effects of a massive dose of 6-OH-DA upon marsh mice.

Single, sublethal subcutaneous doses of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OH-DA) were given to young adult male and female Marsh mice. The ability of 6/8 males to sire 15 or more days later was not abolished. Of 10 females dosed during pregnancy, 6 failed to deliver and lost substantially in body weight. Of the 4 that delivered, 2 cannabalized their young. The offspring of the 6-OH-DA-dosed fathers and mothers showed no gross anatomical defects nor lessened survival rates. Confrontation of 6-OH-DA-dosed males with control males as pairs demonstrated increased anal sniffing as compared with control-pair confrontation. In a long-term series with males, liver anomalies including tumor development were demonstrated for 6-OH-DA. Lymphoid tumor induction was not affected. However, 3 local fibrosarcomas and 1 intrasorbital giant cell sarcoma arose. A sublethal dose of L-dopa had no lasting effect on male mouse aggression nor on other behavioral manifestations that would implicate 6-OH-DA formation as a metabolic route.