Depletion of cortical allopregnanolone potentiates stress-induced increase in cortical dopamine output.
In freely moving rats finasteride markedly reduced the cortical content of allopregnanolone. This treatment significantly prolonged the increase in the extracellular concentration of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex induced by foot shock. Moreover, finasteride enhanced both maximal increase of dopamine and its duration elicited by a single injection of the anxiogenic drug FG 7142. These results suggest that endogenous allopregnanolone may modulate the excitatory response of cortical dopaminergic neurons to stressful and anxiogenic stimuli.
Dazzi
Laura
L
B. Loddo Department of Experimental Biology, Centre for Neuropharmacology, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy. dazzi@unica.it
Serra
Mariangela
M
Vacca
Giada
G
Ladu
Stefania
S
Latrofa
Andrea
A
Trapani
Giuseppe
G
Biggio
Giovanni
G
D000818:Animals; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018120:Finasteride / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism*
D002243:Carbolines; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D018120:Finasteride; C035874:FG 7142; D011280:Pregnanolone; D004298:Dopamine