title: The putative dopamine D3 agonist, 7-OH-DPAT, reduces dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and electrical self-stimulation to the ventral tegmentum.
abstract: The present experiments were designed to test further the idea that 7-OH-DPAT (7-hydroxy-N,N-di-n-propyl-2-aminotetralin), a putative dopamine (DA) D3 agonist, has effects at DA autoreceptors to reduce intracranial DA levels and to reduce behaviours that are DA-dependent. Rats were trained to respond on a self-stimulation protocol for electrical stimulation to the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Each press of a lever delivered a 0.5 s train of square wave, 1.5 ms duration, 100 Hz, 90-120 mA stimulation. Systemic administration of 7-OH-DPAT at 0.01-0.3 mg/kg i.p., quickly dose-dependently reduced responding. Electrical stimulation using similar parameters to those that supported self-stimulation were then applied to the VTA of anaesthetized rats. Fast cyclic voltammetry (FCV) revealed that this stimulation released DA in the nucleus accumbens (NAC). 7-OH-DPAT i.p. (0.1-3.0 mg/kg) quickly and potently reduced the size of the DA-generated voltammetric signal. This effect of 0.3 mg/kg 7-OH-DPAT was not blocked by sulpiride (60 mg/kg, i.p.) a D2-specific antagonist that may preferentially block D2 autoreceptors. These data are discussed with reference to the possibility that 7-OH-DPAT reduces the release of dopamine in the NAC, at D3, but not at D2, autoreceptors and that this in turn may reduce the rewarding effect of VTA stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3; D012653:Self Stimulation; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; C493595:Drd3 protein, rat; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; D013469:Sulpiride; C031349:7-hydroxy-2-N,N-dipropylaminotetralin; D004298:Dopamine