title: Striatal dopamine receptor sensitivity after subchronic fencamfamine in the rat.
abstract: Dopamine (DA) receptor sensitivity was assessed in the rat striatal system following subchronic treatment with fencamfamine or saline for 7 days (10 mg/kg i.p.). Seventy-two hours after the last injection the stereotyped behaviour and general activity induced by apomorphine or saline were evaluated. Apomorphine (2.0 mg/kg s.c.) induced a decrease of the stereotypic response when fencamfamine-pretreated animals were compared to saline-treated ones while apomorphine (0.02 mg/kg s.c.) failed to alter the general activity of animals, treated with fencamfamine or not. In biochemical experiments subchronic fencamfamine did not alter the effects of apomorphine (0.02 mg/kg s.c.) in reducing homovanillic acid (HVA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) striatal levels, when compared to saline. In addition we observed a slight but significant reduction in the total dopamine receptor content in the striatum labelled by [3H]spiroperidol. These findings indicate that subchronic fencamfamine treatment leads to a desensitization of postsynaptic DA receptors in rat striatum.
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009636:Norbornanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects*; D013134:Spiperone / Q000378:metabolism; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009636:Norbornanes; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D013134:Spiperone; D001058:Apomorphine; C020900:fencamfamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid