Dopamine D1 Receptor‐mediated Facilitation of GABAergic Neurotransmission in the Rat Strioentopeduncular Pathway and its Modulation by Adenosine A1 Receptor‐mediated Mechanisms

Abstract

By using in vivo microdialysis it was found that one of the main functions of striatal dopamine D₁ receptors is to selectively facilitate GABAergic neurotransmission in the ‘direct’strioentopeduncular pathway. D₁ receptors localized in the entopeduncular nucleus were also found to facilitate GABA release. However, results obtained from in vivo microdialysis, in vivo electrochemistry, immunohistochemistry and confocal laser microscopy suggested that entopeduncular D₁ receptors could only be activated under pharmacological conditions. Adenosine A₁ receptors were found to antagonistically modulate the D₁-mediated regulation of the strioentopeduncular pathway. Furthermore, using in situ hybridization D₁ and A₁ receptors were shown to be colocalized in medium-sized striatal neurons. These results show that the strioentopeduncular neuron is a main locus for adenosine-dopamine interactions in the brain.