tokens: To demonstrate the relationship between peripheral iron overload and dopaminergic neuron loss in rat substantia nigra ( SN ), in the present study we used fast cyclic voltammetry , tyrosine hydroxylase ( TH ) immunohistochemistry , Perls ' iron staining , and high performance liquid chromatography - electrochemical detection to study the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and increased iron content in the SN of iron dextran overloaded animals .