AAV-shRNA mediates dopamine receptors silencing in vivo.

A: A coronal section of rat striatum was visualized with fluorescence microscopy 2 weeks after viral injection. GFP expression was confined to the striatum region with some expression occurring in the cortex. B: Two viral injection sites. cc, corpus callosum; CPu, caudate putamen; P1, injection site 1 (ML: +4.5 mm, DV: −5.00 mm); P2, injection site 2 (ML: +4.5 mm, DV: −6.50 mm). Scale bar = 0.1 mm. This drawing was adapted from the atlas by Paxinos and Watson (2005). C: Dopamine D1 receptor protein levels in the striatum were detected by Western blotting with β-actin as the internal control. Injection of AAV-shRNA-D1R effectively decreased the expression of dopamine D1 receptor protein. D: Dopamine D2 receptor protein levels in the striatum were detected by Western blotting using β-actin as the internal control. Injection of AAV-shRNA-D2R effectively decreased dopamine D2 receptor protein expression.