title: Nanomolar concentrations of kynurenic acid reduce extracellular dopamine levels in the striatum.
abstract: Precise regulation of dopaminergic activity is of obvious importance for the physiology and pathology of basal ganglia. We report here that nanomolar concentrations of the astrocyte-derived neuroinhibitory metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA) potently reduce the extracellular levels of striatal dopamine in unanesthetized rats in vivo. This effect, which is initiated by the KYNA-induced blockade of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, highlights the functional relevance of glia-neuron interactions in the striatum and indicates that even modest increases in the brain levels of endogenous KYNA are capable of interfering with dopaminergic neurotransmission.
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rassoulpour
authors.forename: Hui-Qiu
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferre
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarcz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D045604:Extracellular Fluid / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007736:Kynurenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D007736:Kynurenic Acid; D004298:Dopamine