title: Kindling of the ventral tegmental area induces supersensitivity in the central dopamine system.
abstract: Kindling of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a major source of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, was examined in rats. We applied two quantitative measurements of dopamine sensitivity before and 2 weeks after VTA kindling (20 times electrical stimulations (100 microA at 1 min intervals) delivered once per day for 14 consecutive days): behavioral responses induced by test VTA stimulation and methamphetamine (MAP)-induced locomotor activity. The total amount of MAP-induced locomotor activity was significantly increased after VTA kindling, while the responses to electrical stimulation were unchanged. These results indicate that repeated activation of the mesolimbic dopamine system can produce a neuroplastic change, which results in dopamine supersensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, 1750-1 Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. 52takemi@kms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takemi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirao
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suwaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008694:Methamphetamine; D004298:Dopamine