title: Tacrolimus, a specific inhibitor of calcineurin, modifies the locomotor activity of quinpirole, but not that of SKF82958, in male rats.
abstract: In the present study, we examined the effect of tacrolimus, a specific inhibitor of calcineurin, on the locomotor activity elicited by the selective dopamine D(1) receptor agonist (+/-) 6-chloro-7,8-dyhydroxy-3allyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetra-hydro-1H-benzazepine (SKF82958) and the dopamine D(2)/D(3) receptor agonist quinpirole, in male Wistar rats. Tacrolimus (0.5, 1, 2 or 5 mg/kg, i.p.) alone had no significant effect on basal locomotor activity. The dose-related increase in locomotor activity produced by the administration of SKF82958 (0.1, 1 or 5 mg/kg, i.p.) was not significantly altered by 2 mg/kg of tacrolimus. In addition, the increase in locomotor activity produced by 1 mg/kg of SKF82958 was not significantly altered by tacrolimus (0.5, 1, 2 or 5 mg/kg, i.p.). The administration of quinpirole (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 3 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a biphasic response, with the minimum and maximal increase in locomotor activity occurring at 0.1 and 1 mg/kg, respectively. The pretreatment of 2 mg/kg of tacrolimus, compared to vehicle-treated animals, significantly lowered the dose of quinpirole that produce a maximal effect on locomotor activity from 1 to 0.5 mg/kg but did not significantly alter the minimum response. The increase in locomotor activity produced by 0.5 mg/kg of quinpirole was significantly potentiated by 0.5, 1, 2 or 5 mg/kg of tacrolimus compared to vehicle-treated animals. Our results suggest that calcineurin may play a role in the alteration of locomotor activity produced by dopamine D(2)/D(3) receptors, but not dopamine D(1) receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, 431-3192 Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Japan
authors.forename: Masatsuna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakanoue
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Nori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Yoshimoto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Ashby
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Minabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D019257:Quinpirole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D019257:Quinpirole; C071262:SK&F 82958; D016559:Tacrolimus