Volume 17, Number 20,
Issue of October 15, 1997
pp. 7988-7994
Copyright ©1997 Society for Neuroscience
D1-D2 Interaction in Feedback Control of Midbrain Dopamine
Neurons
Received April 21, 1997; revised July 22, 1997; accepted July 30, 1997.
Wei-Xing Shi,
Paula L. Smith,
Chen-Lun Pun,
Barbara Millet, and
Benjamin S. Bunney
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut 06510
Dopamine (DA) D1-like receptors are present in pathways implicated
in feedback control of midbrain DA neurons. However, stimulation of
these receptors either produces no effect on DA cells, or the effect is
inconsistent. It is possible that the expression of a D1 feedback
effect requires co-activation of D2-like receptors. To test this
hypothesis, we recorded extracellularly the spontaneous activity of
nigral DA cells in a low cerveau isolé rat preparation. SKF38393
and dyhydrexidine, two D1 agonists, were administered systemically to
animals pretreated with different doses of the D2 agonist quinpirole.
Supporting the hypothesis, the two D1 agonists consistently inhibited
DA cells in animals given high doses of quinpirole (
40 µg/kg,
i.v.). However, no significant D1 effect was observed in animals
pretreated with only low doses (
20 µg/kg) of quinpirole. Because
low doses of D2 agonists preferentially act on DA autoreceptors, and
because the D1 inhibition persisted in animals whose DA autoreceptors
were blocked by intranigral application of raclopride, our results
suggest that the expression of D1 feedback inhibition requires
co-activation of D2-like receptors on DA target neurons, instead of DA
neurons themselves. These results, together with the finding that
chloral hydrate completely blocked the D1 inhibition, may explain why
previous studies have failed to show a consistent D1 effect on DA cells
and suggest that drugs designed to act specifically on one subtype of
DA receptor may, via feedback pathways, influence the action of
endogenous DA on other DA receptor subtypes as well.
Key words:
DA neuron;
feedback pathway;
D1;
D2;
synergistic;
SKF38393;
dyhydrexidine;
substantia nigra;
striatonigral;
single-unit
recording