Quetiapine increases the firing rate of rat substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons in vitro.
The antipsychotic drug quetiapine increases the firing rate of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area of the rat. In the present study we used an in vitro midbrain slice preparation and found that 3 microM quetiapine increases the firing rate of dopamine neuron in both structures by approximately 30%. The magnitude of the increase was not correlated with the basal firing rate of the dopamine neurons. In addition, quetiapine was not able to antagonize the inhibition of the firing evoked by the dopamine D2 receptor agonist quinpirole. Only with a very high concentration (30 microM), quetiapine was able to counteract the amphetamine-induced inhibition of the firing of the ventral tegmental area neurons; this effect was less pronounced in substantia nigra neurons. These findings indicate that the increase in firing rate induced by quetiapine cannot solely be mediated through an interaction with the dopamine D2-like autoreceptor present on the dopamine neurons.
Werkman
Taco R
TR
Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 320, 1098 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. werkman@science.uva.nl
Olijslagers
Johanna E
JE
Perlstein
Benny
B
Jansen
Antonius H J
AH
McCreary
Andrew C
AC
Kruse
Chris G
CG
Wadman
Wytse J
WJ
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D019257:Quinpirole / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D019257:Quinpirole; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D000661:Amphetamine; D004298:Dopamine