Nitrous oxide reverses the increase in striatal dopamine release produced by N-methyl-D-aspartate infusion in the substantia nigra pars compacta in rats.
Bilateral administration of NMDA (5 x 10(-10) mol) in the substantia nigra pars compacta increases the striatal dopamine (DA) release. However, this enhancing effect of NMDA was suppressed by nitrous oxide exposure at 0.1 MPa, which induced per se a decrease of the DA release. These results show that nitrous oxide exerts a reversal effect on the increase in striatal DA release produced by NMDA receptor activation in the substantia nigra pars compacta. This observation may be related to the fact that nitrous oxide is thought to produce its effects by acting as an NMDA receptor antagonist.
Balon
Norbert
N
Université de la Méditerranée, E.A. 3280, Laboratoire de Physiopathologie et Action Thérapeutique des Gaz sous Pression, Faculté de Médecine Nord, IFR Jean Roche, 13916 Marseilles Cedex 20, France.
Dupenloup
Lydie
L
Blanc
François
F
Weiss
Michel
M
Rostain
Jean-Claude
JC
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects*
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D004298:Dopamine