NMDA receptor blockade augmented nicotine-evoked dopamine release from rat prefrontal cortex slices.
Nicotine evokes dopamine release through activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and tobacco cigarette smoking is more prevalent among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. Blockade of ionotropic glutamate (NMDA) receptors can induce changes in central dopamine and glutamate circuits, which models the symptoms of schizophrenia. The effect of the NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine, on the effect of nicotine in rat prefrontal cortex was examined using a slice superfusion assay in which cortical slices were preloaded with [(3)H] dopamine. A wide range of ketamine concentrations (0.1-300 microM) did not evoke [(3)H] overflow from slices, indicating that NMDA receptor blockade did not induce dopamine release. Ketamine, at concentrations that model the symptoms of schizophrenia (1-10 microM), augmented the effect of nicotine (1-100 microM) to evoke [(3)H] overflow from slices and decreased the threshold nicotine concentration to evoke [(3)H] overflow. This indicates that NMDA receptor blockade increased the potency and efficacy of nicotine to evoke dopamine release from prefrontal cortex slices, suggesting that ketamine induced hypersensitivity to nicotine. The present results support a role for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia.
Rodvelt
Kelli R
KR
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
Schachtman
Todd R
TR
Kracke
George R
GR
Miller
Dennis K
DK
D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology*; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D014316:Tritium; D007649:Ketamine; D009538:Nicotine; D004298:Dopamine