CART peptides as modulators of dopamine and psychostimulants and interactions with the mesolimbic dopaminergic system.
Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides (CART 55-102 and CART 62-102) are peptidergic neurotransmitters that are widely but specifically distributed throughout the brain, gut and other parts of the body. They are found in many brain regions associated with drug addiction including the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area and ventral pallidum. Injections of CART 55-102 into the nucleus accumbens have no effect on basal locomotor activity. However, an injection of CART just before an i.p. injection of cocaine reduces the locomotor activating effects of cocaine. These and other data suggest that CART in the accumbens blunts the effects of cocaine. A hypothesis is that CART is homeostatic in the accumbens and tends to oppose large increases in dopamine signaling. These actions would therefore be able to regulate the effects of some abused drugs such as the psychostimulants.
Hubert
George W
GW
Division of Neuroscience, The Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA. ghubert@emory.edu
Jones
Douglas C
DC
Moffett
Mark C
MC
Rogge
George
G
Kuhar
Michael J
MJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C507709:cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (62-102), human; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein; C428723:cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript protein (55-102); D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine