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X T Hu

Publications and source records attributed to X T Hu.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Elimination of cocaine-induced hyperactivity and dopamine-mediated neurophysiological effects in dopamine D1 receptor mutant mice.

The brain mesoaccumbens dopamine system is intricately involved in the psychomotor stimulant activities of cocaine. However, the extent to which different dopamine receptors mediate these effects has not yet been firmly established. The present study used dopamine D1 receptor mutant mice produced by gene targeting to investigate the role of this receptor in the effects induced by cocaine. In contrast with wild-type mice, which showed a dose-dependent increase in locomotion, D1 mutant mice exhibited a dose-dependent decrease. Electrophysiological studies of dopamine-sensitive nucleus accumbens neurons demonstrated a marked reduction in the inhibitory effects of cocaine on the generation of action potentials. In addition, the inhibitory effects of dopamine as well as D1 and D2 agonists were almost completely abolished, whereas those of serotonin were unaffected. D2-like dopamine receptor binding was also normal. These results demonstrate the essential role of the D1 receptor in the locomotor stimulant effects of cocaine and in dopamine-mediated neurophysiological effects within the nucleus accumbens.

Animals↗

Loss of D1/D2 dopamine receptor synergisms following repeated administration of D1 or D2 receptor selective antagonists: electrophysiological and behavioral studies.

Many effects resulting from D2 dopamine (DA) receptor stimulation are manifest only when D1 DA receptors are stimulated by endogenous DA. When D1 receptor stimulation is enhanced by administration of selective D1 receptor agonists, the functional effects of selective D2 agonists are markedly increased. These qualitative and quantitative forms of D1/D2 DA receptor synergism are abolished by chronic DA depletion when both D1 and D2 DA receptors are supersensitive. Using both electrophysiological and behavioral methods, the present study examined the effects of selective D1 and D2 receptor supersensitivity, induced by repeated administration of selective D1 or D2 receptor antagonists, on the synergistic relationships between D1 and D2 receptors. Daily administration of the selective D2 antagonist eticlopride (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) for 3 weeks produced a selective supersensitivity of both dorsal (caudate-putamen) and ventral (nucleus accumbens) striatal neurons to the inhibitory effects of the D2 agonist quinpirole (applied by microiontophoresis). This treatment also abolished the normal ability of the D1 agonist SKF 38393 to potentiate quinpirole-induced inhibition, and relieved D2 receptors from the necessity of D1 receptor stimulation by endogenous DA (enabling), as indicated by significant electrophysiological and behavioral (stereotypy) effects of quinpirole in eticlopride-pretreated, but not saline-pretreated, rats that were also acutely depleted of DA. Daily administration of the selective D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) caused supersensitivity of striatal neurons to the inhibitory effects of SKF 38393 and also abolished both the ability of SKF 38393 to potentiate quinpirole-induced inhibition and the necessity of D1 receptor stimulation for such inhibition. However, both quinpirole-induced inhibition of striatal cells and stereotyped responses were also somewhat enhanced in SCH 23390-pretreated rats. When such D1-sensitized rats were acutely depleted of DA, the behavioral effects of quinpirole were intermediate between saline-pretreated rats with acute DA depletion and SCH 23390-pretreated rats without acute DA depletion. Based upon these and related results, it is argued that the enhanced effects of quinpirole in D1-sensitized rats are due to a heterologous sensitization of D2 receptors rather than to enhanced enabling resulting from supersensitive D1 receptors. It is suggested that supersensitivity of either D1 or D2 receptors can lead to an uncoupling of normal qualitative and quantitative D1/D2 synergisms and that the heterologous regulation of D2 receptor sensitivity by D1 receptors may be related to uncoupling of functional D1/D2 synergisms.

Animals↗

[Prefrontal injection of the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine impairs performance of a delayed GO/NO-GO task in monkeys].

Two rhesus monkeys were trained to perform a delayed GO/NO-GO task, which was initiated by the monkey's pressing a lever. At 0.5 s after the lever-pressing, a white square (1.5 cm x 1.5 cm) was displayed on the right or the left of a computer screen and lasted 0.5 s as a cue. After a delay of 0.0-4.0 s, a red square (1.5 cm x 1.5 cm) appeared between the left-cue and right-cue positions as a signal for response choice. The monkey released the lever within 0.8 s if the cue had been on the right (GO trial), or kept on the lever-pressing for 1.2 s if the cue had been on the left (NO-GO trial). Short-term working memory during the delay was a non-spatially representational one. Local injection of the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine (10 micrograms) into the prefrontal cortex (Walker's areas 46, 9) contralateral to the performing hand decreased the correct rate of performance. The longer the delay period was, the more serious the impairment was. The performing error after injection of yohimbine was expressed mainly as "commissural" response (the monkey made GO response in NO-GO trial or NO-GO response in GO trial). Injection of the alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin (10 micrograms) or the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol (10 micrograms) did not impair the task-performance. Our results suggest that, prefrontal alpha 2-adrenoceptors may play an important role in the short-term working memory with non-spatial representation.

Animals↗

MK-801 prevents alterations in the mesoaccumbens dopamine system associated with behavioral sensitization to amphetamine.

Behavioral sensitization to psychomotor stimulants has been shown to be accompanied by a number of alterations in the mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) system, including DA autoreceptor subsensitivity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), postsynaptic D1 receptor supersensitivity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and augmentation of the DA-releasing effects of stimulants in the NAc. The present study examined whether coadministration of the noncompetitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 with amphetamine, which has been shown to prevent the development of behavioral sensitization to amphetamine, would also prevent these changes in mesoaccumbens DA function. Rats were treated for 5 d with amphetamine according to a regimen known to produce lasting sensitization. Extracellular single-unit recordings from VTA DA neurons in amphetamine-treated rats, performed after 1 d of abstinence, revealed robust autoreceptor subsensitivity to DA agonists. This was prevented in rats coadministered MK-801 with amphetamine during the 5 d pretreatment period. Recordings from NAc neurons in amphetamine-treated rats demonstrated supersensitivity of D1 receptors to iontophoretic administration of selective agonists when tested after 7 d of abstinence. This was also prevented by MK-801 coadministration. Microdialysis studies performed in awake rats after 7 d of abstinence failed to demonstrate augmentation of amphetamine-stimulated DA release in amphetamine-treated rats as compared to water controls, despite the fact that behavioral sensitization was evident in the former group during microdialysis experiments. MK-801 coadministration prevented behavioral sensitization in microdialysis rats but did not alter amphetamine-stimulated DA release. These results suggest (1) NMDA receptor stimulation is required for the development of both autoreceptor subsensitivity in the VTA and postsynaptic D1 receptor supersensitivity in the NAc during repeated amphetamine treatment, (2) these functional changes therefore appear to be closely associated with the development of behavioral sensitization, and (3) a dissociation can be demonstrated between the intensity of amphetamine-stimulated behavioral responses and amphetamine-stimulated DA release in the NAc.

Amphetamine↗

Reserpine impairs spatial working memory performance in monkeys: reversal by the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine.

Repeated daily treatment with the catecholamine-depleting agent, reserpine, dramatically reduced performance on the delayed response task, a test of spatial working memory that depends upon the integrity of the prefrontal cortex. Delayed response performance fell from an average of 27.2/30 trials correct before reserpine treatment to an average of 20.4/30 trials correct after repeated reserpine administration. Injection of the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, clonidine (0.0001-0.05 mg/kg), to chronic reserpine-treated monkeys significantly restored performance on the delayed response task; performance after an optimal dose averaged 27.8/30 trials correct. Clonidine's beneficial effects on delayed response performance were longlasting; monkeys remained improved for more than 24 h after a single clonidine injection. The finding that clonidine is efficacious in reserpinized animals supports the hypothesis that alpha 2-adrenergic agonists improve cognitive function through actions at postsynaptic, alpha 2-adrenergic receptors on non-adrenergic cells. In contrast to the delayed response task, reserpine had little effect on performance of a visual discrimination task, a reference memory task which does not depend on the prefrontal cortex. These results emphasize the importance of postsynaptic, alpha 2-adrenergic mechanisms in the regulation of working memory.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗

Electrophysiological effects of cocaine in the rat nucleus accumbens: microiontophoretic studies.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is intricately involved in maintaining cocaine self-administration. Cocaine inhibits the firing of most NAc cells due to its ability to prevent the reuptake of dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), both of which predominantly inhibit NAc cell discharge in vivo. The present studies investigated the roles of DA and 5-HT in the effects of iontophoretically applied cocaine. Most NAc cells exhibited negative/positive waveforms (Type I cells). These cells were significantly more sensitive to cocaine than Type II cells (positive/negative waveforms), apparently due to differences in the actions of 5-HT. Whereas DA was equipotent at inhibiting Type I and Type II cells, 5-HT inhibited Type I cells but, primarily excited Type II cells. Thus the ability of cocaine to potentiate the effects of both DA and 5-HT resulted in a pronounced inhibition of Type I cells, whereas the 5-HT-mediated excitation of Type II cells appeared to reduce DA-mediated inhibition. Combined administration of selective DA (GBR 12909) and 5-HT (fluoxetine) uptake inhibitors was required to mimic the effects of cocaine on Type I and Type II NAc cells. Acute depletion of DA (86%) produced by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT) significantly reduced the inhibitory effects of cocaine on all NAc cells. Acute depletion of 5-HT (74%) produced by p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of cocaine on Type I cells, but it significantly enhanced the inhibition of Type II cells. Simultaneous reduction of DA and 5-HT levels produced a significantly greater reduction of cocaine-induced inhibition of Type I neurons than did AMPT or PCPA alone. These findings are discussed in relation to proposed roles of DA and 5-HT in cocaine self-administration.

Animals↗

Repeated D1 dopamine receptor agonist administration prevents the development of both D1 and D2 striatal receptor supersensitivity following denervation.

Following 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) pathway, rat caudate-putamen (CPu) neurons are supersensitive to the inhibitory effects of both D1 and D2 dopamine (DA) receptor selective agonists. In addition, both the necessity of D1 receptor stimulation for D2 agonist-induced inhibition and the synergistic inhibitory effects of D1 and D2 agonists are abolished by denervation. The present study attempted to determine the relative roles of D1 and D2 DA receptors in the development of denervation supersensitivity to DA agonists and the "uncoupling" of functional interactions between the receptors following 6-OHDA lesions of the nigrostriatal DA pathway. Beginning on the day after an intraventricular 6-OHDA (or vehicle) injection, groups of rats received daily injections of either the selective D1 receptor agonist SKF 38393 (8.0 mg/kg, s.c.), the D2 agonist quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.), or saline for 7 days. On the day following the last agonist injection, rats were anesthetized and prepared for extracellular single cell recording with iontophoretic drug administration. Daily administration of quinpirole selectively prevented the development of D2 receptor supersensitivity, whereas daily administration of SKF 38393 prevented the development of both D1 and D2 receptor supersensitivity. In addition, D1, but not D2, agonist treatment prevented the loss of synergistic inhibitory responses typically produced by 6-OHDA lesions. Behavioral observations revealed similar effects; daily injections of SKF 38393, but not quinpirole, prevented contralateral rotational responses to the mixed D1/D2 agonist apomorphine (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) in rats with unilateral 6-OHDA lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway. After a 4-week withdrawal from repeated D1 agonist treatment, both supersensitive inhibitory responses of CPu neurons and contralateral rotations to apomorphine were evident, indicating that the preventative effects on DA receptor supersensitivity were not permanent. These findings indicate that continued agonist occupation of striatal D1 DA receptors following DA denervation not only prevents the development of D1 DA receptor supersensitivity but also exerts a similar regulation of D2 receptor sensitivity.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗

Repeated stimulation of D1 dopamine receptors causes time-dependent alterations in the sensitivity of both D1 and D2 dopamine receptors within the rat striatum.

Recent evidence suggests that repeated stimulation of D1 dopamine receptors within the rat striatum leads to an enhancement of both D1 and D2 dopamine receptor-mediated responses. The present study used both behavioral observations and extracellular single unit recording techniques to investigate this phenomenon following repeated administration of selective D1 dopamine receptor agonists. Groups of rats received twice daily administration of either saline or the partial D1 dopamine receptor agonist SKF 38393 (8 mg/kg, s.c.) for three weeks. Rats were tolerant to the ability of SKF 38393 to enhance grooming behavior when tested immediately following the last of the 42 treatment injections. However, the ability of this last SKF 38393 injection to potentiate oral stereotyped behavior following administration of the D2 DA agonist quinpirole was still evident. Following a one-day withdrawal, grooming responses to SKF 38393 had returned to normal. At this time, administration of quinpirole, without concomitant SKF 38393, failed to significantly promote oral stereotypies, as is typical of normal rats. Following a one-week withdrawal period, SKF 38393-induced grooming behavior was significantly enhanced and quinpirole, administered without SKF 38393, produced pronounced oral stereotyped behavior in 10 of 12 rats tested. Following a one-month withdrawal, these sensitized responses were no longer evident. Single-cell recordings from rat lateral striatal neurons revealed similar time-dependent alterations in the effects of iontophoretically administered SKF 38393 and quinpirole. Current-response curves revealed that, without a withdrawal period, striatal neurons were subsensitive to the inhibitory effects of SKF 38393 but not quinpirole. The decreased inhibitory responses of striatal neurons to SKF 38393 returned to normal levels after a one-day withdrawal. Following a one-week withdrawal, the effects of both agonists were significantly greater than that in saline-treated controls. Normosensitivity was evident following a one-month withdrawal. Repeated administration of the full D1 DA agonist SKF 81297 (0.5 mg/kg, s.c., twice daily) also resulted in sensitized responses of striatal neurons following a one-week withdrawal, demonstrating that the sensitization to SKF 38393 was not due to its partial agonist character. The present findings provide both behavioral and electrophysiological evidence that repeated stimulation of D1 dopamine receptors results in a brief subsensitivity, followed by transient sensitization of the D1 receptors. The enhanced effects of D2 dopamine agonists might be due to an enhanced synergism (enabling) produced by endogenous dopamine stimulating supersensitive D1 receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗

Relationship between D1 dopamine receptors, adenylate cyclase, and the electrophysiological responses of rat nucleus accumbens neurons.

The electrophysiological effects of three selective D1 dopamine (DA) receptor agonists, which exhibit different potencies and efficacies for stimulation of adenylate cyclase, were compared in the rat nucleus accumbens (NAc) using single unit recording and microiontophoretic techniques. The partial agonists SKF75670 and SKF38393, and the full agonist SKF81297 produced nearly identical current-response curves for the inhibition of firing of NAc neurons. In rats acutely depleted of DA by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT) pretreatment, all three D1 agonists enabled the inhibition of firing produced by the selective D2 receptor agonist quinpirole, with SKF38393 exerting the greatest efficacy, followed by SKF81297 and SKF75670. Thus, no apparent relationship was found between the previously reported ability of these compounds to stimulate cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production and their ability either to inhibit the firing of NAc neurons or to enable quinpirole-mediated inhibition of firing in DA-depleted rats. In addition, the membrane-permeable cAMP analog 8-bromo-cAMP also caused a current-dependent inhibition of the firing of NAc neurons, but failed to enable quinpirole-mediated inhibition in AMPT-pretreated animals. These results suggest either that only a small percentage of D1 receptors need to be stimulated to produce these electrophysiological effects, or that D1 receptors exist within the rat NAc which are linked to transduction mechanisms other than, or in addition to, adenylate cyclase.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

The effect of carbamylcholine on CFU-s differentiation.

The proportion of spleen colony-forming units (CFU-s) killed by hydroxyurea was greatly increased after bone marrow cells (BMCs) from LACA mice were exposed to carbamylcholine (Cach; 1 X 10(-13) to 1 X 10(-9) in vitro and there was a marked change in the proportion of spleen colony types. Following treatment with Cach, granulocytic and mixed erythroid-type colonies increased from 20 to 26.3% and 16.1 to 29.6% in 9-day colonies and from 8.3 to 28.2% and 21.7 to 39.4% in 13-day colonies, respectively. Single cell suspensions of spleen colonies were made for granulocyte-macrophage progenitor (CFU-gm) and late erythroid progenitor (CFU-e) assays. The number of CFU-gm from Cach-treated BMC was about twice that from control BMC for both day 9 and day 13 groups; the number of CFU-e decreased relatively. The results suggest that cholinergic receptors on CFU-s may increase the tendency to differentiate into the granulocytic/monocytic line.

Animals↗

Lesions of the nigrostriatal dopamine projection increase the inhibitory effects of D1 and D2 dopamine agonists on caudate-putamen neurons and relieve D2 receptors from the necessity of D1 receptor stimulation.

Extracellular single unit recording and microiontophoretic techniques were used to determine the sensitivities and interactions of D1 and D2 dopamine (DA) receptors in the caudate putamen (CPu) of rats that were denervated of DA by intraventricular injections of the catecholamine neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Seven to 10 d after the 6-OHDA injection, DA levels in the ipsilateral CPu were reduced to 11.8% of control. Current-response curves revealed that the inhibitory responses of CPu neurons to microiontophoretic administration of both the selective D1 receptor agonist SKF-38393 and the selective D2 receptor agonist quinpirole were significantly increased in 6-OHDA-pretreated rats, suggesting up-regulation of both receptor subtypes. Although our previous studies have established that D1 receptor activation is normally required for (enables) the inhibitory effects of selective D2 agonists in the CPu, this requirement was no longer evident in 6-OHDA-denervated rats. Whereas acute DA depletion [produced by the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT)] attenuated the inhibitory effects of quinpirole on CPu neurons, long-term DA denervation (produced by 6-OHDA) enhanced the inhibitory effects of the D2 agonist. The enhanced effects of quinpirole in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats were not due to residual DA stimulating supersensitive D1 receptors (i.e., enabling) since further DA depletion (99.7%), produced by acute administration of AMPT in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats, failed to diminish the inhibitory efficacy of quinpirole. In addition to relieving D2 receptors from the need for D1 receptor-mediated enabling, 6-OHDA lesions also abolished the normal synergistic relationship between the receptor subtypes since low (subinhibitory) currents of SKF-38393 (4 nA) failed to potentiate the inhibitory effects of quinpirole on CPu neurons in lesioned rats. Similar findings (i.e., supersensitivity and loss of synergistic effects) were obtained from rats that had received repeated pretreatment with reserpine (2.5 mg/kg) for 4 d, indicating that these effects of 6-OHDA lesions were due to the depletion of synaptic DA rather than to the structural loss of DA terminals. Therefore, both the quantitative (potentiation) and the qualitative (enabling) synergistic effects between D1 and D2 receptors in the rat CPu were abolished when these receptors were functionally supersensitive. The present study provides electrophysiological support for previous behavioral studies indicating that the requirement of D1 receptor stimulation for D2 receptor-mediated functional effects (enabling) is not maintained in rats chronically depleted of DA by either 6-OHDA lesions or repeated reserpine.

Animals↗

Haloperidol and clozapine: differential effects on the sensitivity of caudate-putamen neurons to dopamine agonists and cholecystokinin following one month continuous treatment.

The effects of one month continuous treatment with either the typical antipsychotic drug (APD) haloperidol (HAL) or atypical APD clozapine (CLOZ) on the responses of caudate-putamen (CPu) neurons to dopamine (DA) D1 receptor agonist (+)SKF-38393, D2 receptor agonist quinpirole and sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8S) were compared. The sensitivity of CPu neurons to microiontophoretically applied quinpirole was markedly enhanced in HAL-treated rats; the current (dose)-response curve for quinpirole to suppress the firing activity of CPu cells was shifted significantly to the left as compared to that of saline-treated controls. In addition, in the HAL-treated rats, a higher percentage of CPu neurons responded to quinpirole. In contrast, the responsiveness of CPu cells to quinpirole was not altered in the CLOZ group. Nor was the sensitivity of CPu neurons to selective D1 receptor agonist (+)SKF-38393 changed in APD-treated groups. These results support the view that supersensitive D2 receptors in the CPu may be related to neuroleptic-induced neurological side-effects since the atypical APD CLOZ has low likelihood for causing neurological side-effects and it was ineffective in altering the sensitivity of DA receptor subtypes in the CPu. Interestingly, a greater number of CPu neurons were found to be activated by CCK-8S in CLOZ-treated rats as compared to either the saline-control or HAL group. Whether the enhanced CCK-8S action in the CPu might contribute to CLOZ's low potential for causing neurological side-effects remains to be elucidated.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗

D1 dopamine receptor stimulation enables the postsynaptic, but not autoreceptor, effects of D2 dopamine agonists in nigrostriatal and mesoaccumbens dopamine systems.

Possible functional interactions between D1 and D2 dopamine (DA) receptors were examined using extracellular single-cell recording with microiontophoretic application of selective D1 and D2 receptor agonists both postsynaptically, in the rat nucleus accumbens (NAc) and caudate-putamen (CPu), and presynaptically, at impulse-regulating somatodendritic DA autoreceptors in the ventral tegmental area (A10) and substantia nigra pars compacta (A9). In addition, synthesis-modulating nerve terminal DA autoreceptors were studied in both the CPu and NAc using the gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) neurochemical model of isolated nerve terminal autoreceptor function in vivo. In both the NAc and CPu, the inhibition of neurons produced by iontophoresis of the D2 receptor agonists quinpirole or RU-24213 was attenuated by acute DA depletion via the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT). However, during iontophoresis of the selective D1 DA receptor agonist SKF 38393, the inhibitory effects of the D2 agonists were again evident, suggesting that the attenuation of D2 agonist-induced inhibition was due to decreased D1 receptor activation. In contrast, the inhibitory effects produced by the non-selective D1/D2 agonist apomorphine or by SKF 38393 were unaffected by AMPT pretreatment. Thus, D1 receptor activation appears necessary for D2 receptor-mediated inhibition of NAc and CPu neurons, whereas D2 receptor activation is not required for the inhibition produced by D1 receptor stimulation. In contrast to postsynaptic D2 receptors, the ability of DA agonists to stimulate D2 DA autoreceptors was not altered by manipulations of D1 receptor occupation. Enhancing D1 receptor stimulation with SKF 38393 or reducing D1 receptor occupation with either the selective D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 or AMPT failed to alter the rate-inhibitory effect of i.v. quinpirole on A9 or A10 DA neurons. Similarly, iontophoresis of SKF 38393 failed to alter the inhibitory effects of iontophoretic quinpirole. SKF 38393 also failed to affect the inhibition of GBL-induced increases in DOPA accumulation (tyrosine hydroxylase activity) produced by quinpirole in either the NAc or CPu. Furthermore, reversal of GBL-induced increases in DOPA accumulation by apomorphine or quinpirole was unaffected by pretreatment with SCH 23390. Therefore, D1 receptor occupation appears to be necessary for the expression of the functional effects of postsynaptic D2 receptor stimulation but not presynaptic D2 DA autoreceptor stimulation.

Animals↗

[Effects of carbamylcholine and impromidine on cell cycle state of CFU-S].

In normal steady-state conditions, there was less than 10% loss of CFU-S due to hydroxyurea (HU, 10(-3) mol/L). The CFU-S killed by HU was greatly increased after bone marrow cells of LACA mice were exposed in vitro to carbamylcholine (Cach) (10(-13)-10(-9) mol/L) and impromidine (Impro) (10(-9)-10(-4) mol/L). They were 32.8 (Cach) and 38.4% (Impro) for day 9 CFU-S; 60.6 (Cach) and 49.5% (Impro) for day 13 CFU-S at plateau phase. The effects were blocked by antagonists of cholinergic N receptor d-tubocurarine and of histamine H2 receptor cimetidine, respectively. The different sensitivity to agonists between CFU-S forming early spleen colonies and late colonies may reflect differences in receptor density on the surface of haemopoietic stem cells or receptor activity. The studies provide additional evidence suggesting the heterogeneity of pluripotent haemopoietic stem cells.

Animals↗

Disinhibition of nucleus accumbens neurons by the dopamine D2 receptor agonist LY-141865: prevented by 6-OHDA pretreatment.

Intravenous administration of LY-141865, a specific dopamine (DA) D2 receptor agonist, caused a biphasic increase/decrease in the firing rate of cells in the rat nucleus accumbens (NAc). 6-Hydroxydopamine injected directly into the medial forebrain bundle, through which the ascending DA fibers pass, prevented the initial rate increase of NAc neurons produced by low doses of LY-141865. In contrast, pretreatment of rats with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine did not alter the biphasic response of NAc neurons to LY-141865. These results, together with previous findings that D2 autoreceptors are much sensitive to DA and DA agonists, strongly support the hypothesis that the initial rate-increase caused by low doses of LY-141865 is the result of disinhibition.

5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine↗

Comparison of effects of D-1 and D-2 dopamine receptor agonists on neurons in the rat caudate putamen: an electrophysiological study.

Extracellular single-unit recording and microiontophoretic techniques were used to characterize the pharmacological properties of dopamine (DA) receptor subtypes within the rat caudate putamen (CPu), a striatal structure that receives a dense innervation from DA neurons originating from the substantia nigra pars compacta (A9 DA neurons). Similar to the action of DA, the DA D-1 receptor agonist (+)SKF-38393 generally potentiated the activation produced by glutamate (GLU) at low ejection currents (less than or equal to 5 nA); at higher ejection currents, it depressed 97% of the CPu neurons tested. By contrast, the D-2 receptor agonist LY-171555 (quinpirole) was much less effective in affecting the firing rate of CPu cells. The selective D-1 antagonist SCH-23390, administered either intravenously or iontophoretically, completely blocked the (+)SKF-38393-induced effects on CPu cells but failed to change the depressant effects produced by either quinpirole or 5-HT. On the other hand, the selective D-2 antagonist I-sulpiride, blocked the effects induced by quinpirole but not (+)SKF-38393. These observations suggest that the D-1 and D-2 DA receptor agonists elicit their effects via distinct DA receptor subtypes. A comparison of these results with our previous results obtained from the nucleus accumbens (NAc) indicates that NAc cells are more responsive to DA D-2 agonist, whereas CPu cells are more sensitive to D-1 agonist. Therefore, D-1 receptors in the CPu may have a critical role in mediating the effect produced by DA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗

Differential effects of acute clozapine and haloperidol on the activity of ventral tegmental (A10) and nigrostriatal (A9) dopamine neurons.

Extracellular single-unit recording techniques were used to evaluate the effects of acute intravenous (i.v.) clozapine (CLOZ) and haloperidol (HAL) on the activity of dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA or A10) and the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC or A9). CLOZ increased the firing rate of A10 but not A9 cells, and drove 9/23 (39%) of A10 cells into an apparent depolarization blockade. HAL, on the other hand, produced a rate elevation and, at higher doses, depolarization inactivation in both subpopulations of DA neurons. Cell firing was restored in inactivated cells with i.v. apomorphine (APO) or iontophoretic GABA. CLOZ always fully reversed APO-induced suppression of A10 DA activity, but in many cases only partially reversed suppression of A9 DA neurons. Scopolamine did not mimic the effects of CLOZ on A10 neurons, and it also failed to block the activating effect of HAL on A9 units, indicating that the selective action of CLOZ cannot be interpreted simply by its anticholinergic properties. After hemi-transections of the diencephalon, which severed the medial forebrain bundle and other feedback pathways to the DA somata, CLOZ was still ineffective in altering A9 DA activity. This suggests that the lack of effect on CLOZ on A9 cells is not due to the inhibitory influence of forebrain feedback pathways. This hemi-transection also left intact the activation of A10 neurons produced by HAL and CLOZ, but it did prevent the excitatory action of HAL on most A9 neurons sampled. This indicates that forebrain feedback pathways are less critical in mediating the action of APDs on A10 DA neurons. Finally, iontophoretic application of CLOZ and HAL into the vicinity of DA cell bodies blocked the rate-reducing effects of locally applied DA, but not those of GABA. This suggests that both APDs block somatodendritic DA autoreceptors. However, HAL was considerably more potent than CLOZ in producing this blockade. It is suggested that the different pharmacological and clinical properties of HAL and CLOZ may be partially explained by a differential mode of action on the A10 and A9 subpopulations of DA cells. The data also provide pharmacological evidence that these 2 groups of DA cells are regulated by different mechanisms.

Animals↗