Role of acetylcholine and dopamine in myoclonus induced by intrastriatal picrotoxin.
Rats injected intrastriatally with picrotoxin and carbachol showed sustained myoclonic jerks of the contralateral forelimb. The role of acetylcholine and dopamine in picrotoxin myoclonus was examined by measuring the effects of intrastriatal pharmacological agents on the frequency and intensity of the jerks. Atropine and hemicholinium-3, which reduce acetylcholine function, antagonized the myoclonus. Apomorphine, which has been shown to reduce striatal dopamine function via "autoreceptors", potentiated the jerking, whereas D-amphetamine antagonized the myoclonus. The findings are discussed in relation to proposed interconnections of striatal neurones.
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine; D002217:Carbachol; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006426:Hemicholinium 3; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D010852:Picrotoxin; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000109:Acetylcholine; D001285:Atropine; D002217:Carbachol; D004298:Dopamine; D006426:Hemicholinium 3; D010852:Picrotoxin