Reduction of dopamine receptor activity differentially alters striatal neuropeptide mRNA levels.
We have investigated the effect of dopamine receptor blockade on striatal proenkephalin mRNA and protachykinin mRNA by Northern gel analysis and by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Chronic haloperidol treatment resulted in a 3.5 fold increase in striatal proenkephalin mRNA and a 30% decrease in protachykinin mRNA (no apparent change in alpha-tubulin mRNA was observed). The changes in mRNA levels for protachykinin and proenkephalin were uniform throughout the caudate-putamen of the rat as determined by in situ hybridization histochemistry. The results imply that altering receptor-mediated neurotransmitter functions can lead to profound, specific, and long-lasting alterations in neuronal gene expression.
Neurobiology Group, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Medical Products Department, Wilmington, DE 19898.
J A
JA
Angulo
G R
GR
Christoph
R W
RW
Manning
B A
BA
Burkhart
L G
LG
Davis
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015320:Tachykinins
D004745:Enkephalins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D015320:Tachykinins; C029992:proenkephalin; C054618:protachykinin; D006220:Haloperidol