Dopamine Uptake is Differentially Regulated in Rat Striatum and Nucleus Accumbens

Abstract

Active uptake of dopamine is Na- and temperature-dependent, strongly inhibited by benztropine and nomifensine and present in corpus striatum and nucleus accumbens. In rat striatum dopamine uptake is related to a receptor that is specifically labeled by [3H]cocaine in the presence of Na+ and is located on dopaminergic terminals. The dopamine uptake is differentially affected in the 2 areas by single or repeated injections of cocaine. Cocaine inhibits dopamine uptake in slices of corpus striatum. Na+-dependent [3H]cocaine binding is not detectable in nucleus accumbens. Nomifensine inhibits [3H]dopamine uptake by interacting with low- and high-affinity sites in corpus striatum, but shows only low affinity for dopamine uptake in nucleus accumbens. Apparently, different mechanisms are involved in the regulation of dopamine uptake in corpus striatum and nucleus accumbens.