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One of the most promising models of Parkinson's disease to have emerged in recent years is one in which the pesticide, rotenone, is administered systemically to laboratory rats. However, this model is associated with peripheral toxicity and high mortality rates which impede its widespread application in preclinical drug discovery research. This study sought to determine if administration of rotenone directly into the rat striatum could also mimic the motor dysfunction and neuropathological features of the human condition while overcoming the toxicity associated with systemic administration. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were infused with control or rotenone solutions into the striatum. The effect of the pesticide on body weight and spontaneous motor function (Corridor, Stepping and Whisker Tests) was assessed ante mortem, and its effect on nigrostriatal integrity (quantitative tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry …