Stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus enhances the release of dopamine in the rat substantia nigra.
The release of dopamine in the substantia nigra and striatum was investigated in halothane anaesthetized rats by means of the push-pull cannula method. Electrical stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus produced a marked enhancement of dopamine release in the ipsilateral substantia nigra. This effect is likely to be mediated by subthalamic efferent neurons since the application of acetylcholine in the subthalamic nucleus produced a similar effect. A later decrease of dopamine release was always observed in the ipsilateral striatum and was attributed to the autoregulation mechanisms of nigro-striatal dopaminergic neurons.
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology*; D004027:Diencephalon / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006706:Homeostasis; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000502:physiology*
D004298:Dopamine