Activation by nicotine of striatal neurons receiving excitatory input from the substantia nigra via dopamine release.
An electrophysiological study was performed to elucidate the role of nicotinic receptors in the striatal neurons in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. The effects of microiontophoretic application of nicotine and other drugs were examined on the caudate nucleus (CN) neurons activated monosynaptically by stimulation of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN). Application of nicotine facilitated spontaneous firing. The nicotine-induced firing of the CN neurons was inhibited by concomitant application of domperidone or hexamethonium. These findings suggested that nicotine enhances dopamine release from the SN-derived dopaminergic nerve terminals by activating the neurons via D2 receptors.
Department of Pharmacology, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-Ku, 734-8551, Hiroshima, Japan.
H
H
Yu
H
H
Matsubayashi
T
T
Amano
J
J
Cai
M
M
Sasa
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D007478:Iontophoresis; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000502:physiology*
D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D009538:Nicotine; D004298:Dopamine