Nucleus accumbens to globus pallidus GABA projection subserving ambulatory activity

Abstract

The present experiments investigated the hypothesis of a projection relating to the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from the nucleus accumbens to the globus pallidus subserving ambulatory activity in the rat. The GABA antagonist picrotoxin, microinjected into the globus pallidus, elicited dose-dependent increases in ambulatory activity. The administration of dopamine into the nucleus accumbens had a synergistic effect and further stimulated ambulatory activity. GABA injected into the ventral posterior globus pallidus significantly attenuated the ambulatory activity stimulated by injecting dopamine into the nucleus accumbens. These observations provide evidence of a GABAergic projection from the nucleus accumbens to the globus pallidus and implicate it in the initiation of ambulatory activity.