title: Neurophysiological investigation of effects of the D-1 agonist SKF 38393 on tonic activity of substantia nigra dopamine neurons.
abstract: The effects of the D-1 agonist SKF 38393 on tonic activity of rat substantia nigra pars compacta dopamine neurons were studied using extracellular, single-unit recording techniques. Unlike nonselective D-1/D-2 dopamine agonists or the D-2 agonist quinpirole, SKF 38393 did not inhibit dopamine neuronal activity when applied iontophoretically or when administered intravenously in doses up to 20 mg/kg to chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. Moreover, pretreatment with SKF 38393 did not alter the inhibitory response of these neurons to apomorphine or the D-2 agonist quinpirole. However, in locally anesthetized, gallamine-treated, artificially respired rats, dopamine cell activity was significantly altered by i.v. administration of SKF 38393; firing rate increases and decreases were observed. Administration of the inactive enantiomer of SKF 38393, S-SKF 38393, did not induce similar changes in parallel experiments. These results support the idea that unlike D-2 autoreceptor stimulation, D-1 receptor stimulation does not exert a direct local effect on dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and suggest that D-1 receptor stimulation at sites postsynaptic to the dopamine cells may indirectly affect the activity of some dopamine neurons through long-loop feedback mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics Branch, National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bergstrom
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Weick
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Walters
mesh_terms: D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D012016:Reference Values; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine; D006220:Haloperidol; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine