scholarly journals Reversal of quinpirole inhibition of ventral tegmental area neurons is linked to the phosphatidylinositol system and is induced by agonists linked to Gq

2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 263-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudarat Nimitvilai ◽  
Maureen A. McElvain ◽  
Devinder S. Arora ◽  
Mark S. Brodie

Putative dopaminergic (pDAergic) ventral tegmental area neurons play an important role in brain pathways related to addiction. Extended exposure of pDAergic neurons to moderate concentrations of dopamine (DA) results in a time-dependent decrease in sensitivity of pDAergic neurons to DA inhibition, a process called dopamine inhibition reversal (DIR). We have shown that DIR is mediated by phospholipase C and conventional protein kinase C through concurrent stimulation of D2 and D1-like receptors. In the present study, we further characterized this phenomenon by using extracellular recordings in brain slices to examine whether DIR is linked to phosphatidylinositol (PI) or adenylate cyclase (AC) second-messenger pathways. A D1-like dopaminergic agonist associated with PI turnover (SKF83959), but not one linked to AC (SKF83822), promoted reversal of inhibition produced by quinpirole, a dopamine D2-selective agonist. Other neurotransmitter receptors linked to PI turnover include serotonin 5-HT2, α1-adrenergic, neurotensin, and group I metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors. Both serotonin and neurotensin produced significant reversal of quinpirole inhibition, but agonists of α1-adrenergic and group I mGlu receptors failed to significantly reverse quinpirole inhibition. These results indicate that some agonists that stimulate PI turnover can facilitate desensitization of D2 receptors but that there may be other factors in addition to PI that control that interaction.

2003 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 3201-3212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoping Liu ◽  
E. Bradshaw Bunney ◽  
Sarah B. Appel ◽  
Mark S. Brodie

Dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) have been implicated in the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse and in the etiology of schizophrenia; serotonin modulation of these neurons may play a role in these phenomena. Whole cell patch-in-the-slice recording in rat brain slices was used to investigate modulation of the hyperpolarization-activated cationic current Ih by serotonin in these neurons. Serotonin (50-500 μM) reduced the amplitude of Ih in a concentration-dependent manner; this effect was reversible after prolonged washout of serotonin. This effect was mimicked by the 5-HT2 agonist α-methylserotonin (25 μM) and reversed by the 5-HT2 antagonist ketanserin (25 μM). Serotonin reduced the maximal Ih current and conductance (measured at -130 mV) and caused a negative shift in the voltage dependence of Ih activation. The serotonin-induced reduction in Ih amplitude was antagonized by intracellular administration of the nonspecific protein kinase inhibitor H-7 (75 μM) and the selective protein kinase C inhibitor chelerythrine (25 μM). The protein kinase C activator phorbol 12, 13 diacetate (PDA, 2 μM) reduced Ih amplitude; when PDA and serotonin were applied together, the effect on Ih was less than additive. These data support the conclusion that serotonin reduces Ih in dopaminergic VTA neurons by acting at serotonin 5-HT2 receptors, which activate protein kinase C. This reduction of Ih may be physiologically important, as the selective inhibitor of Ih, ZD7288, significantly increased dopamine inhibition of firing rate of dopaminergic VTA neurons, an effect that we previously demonstrated with serotonin.


Neuroreport ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Ferrada ◽  
Ramón Sotomayor-Zárate ◽  
Jorge Abarca ◽  
Katia Gysling

2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 1734-1745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Stuhrman ◽  
Aaron G. Roseberry

Dopamine is an essential neurotransmitter that plays an important role in a number of different physiological processes and disorders. There is substantial evidence that the neuropeptide neurotensin interacts with the mesolimbic dopamine system and can regulate dopamine neuron activity. In these studies we have used whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiology in brain slices from mice to examine how neurotensin regulates dopamine neuron activity by examining the effect of neurotensin on the inhibitory postsynaptic current generated by somatodendritic dopamine release (D2R IPSC) in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons. Neurotensin inhibited the D2R IPSC and activated an inward current in VTA dopamine neurons that appeared to be at least partially mediated by activation of a transient receptor potential C-type channel. Neither the inward current nor the inhibition of the D2R IPSC was affected by blocking PKC or calcium release from intracellular stores, and the inhibition of the D2R IPSC was greater with neurotensin compared with activation of other Gq-coupled receptors. Interestingly, the effects of neurotensin were not specific to D2R signaling as neurotensin also inhibited GABAB inhibitory postsynaptic currents in VTA dopamine neurons. Finally, the effects of neurotensin were significantly larger when intracellular Ca2+ was strongly buffered, suggesting that reduced intracellular calcium facilitates these effects. Overall these results suggest that neurotensin may inhibit the D2R and GABAB IPSCs downstream of receptor activation, potentially through regulation of G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels. These studies provide an important advance in our understanding of dopamine neuron activity and how it is controlled by neurotensin.


1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Gereau ◽  
P. J. Conn

1. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are coupled to various second-messenger systems through guanosine 5'-triphosphate-binding proteins. To date, at least seven mGluRs have been cloned, and these mGluR subtypes can be divided into three major groups on the basis of similarities in amino acid sequence, coupling to second-messenger cascades in expression systems, and pharmacological profiles. These groups include group I (mGluR1 and mGluR5), group II (mGluR2 and mGluR3), and group III (mGluR4, mGluR6, and mGluR7). 2. On the basis of its selective activation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis in brain slices and its ability to activate mGluR1a expressed in Xenopus oocytes, others have suggested that 3.5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) may be selective for group I mGluRs. Consistent with this hypothesis, we report that DHPG also activates mGluR5 expressed in oocytes, whereas it is inactive at mGluR4 and mGluR7 expressed in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. The compound (2S,1'R,2'R,3'R)-2-(2.3-dicarboxycyclopropyl)glycine (DCG-IV) activates both mGluR2 and mGluR3 at submicromolar concentrations, whereas it is inactive at mGluR4 and mGluR1, suggesting that this compound may be selective for group II mGluRs. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that DCG-IV does not activate mGluR5 expressed in oocytes and does not activate mGluR7 expressed in BHK cells. These findings suggest that DHPG and DCG-IV are highly selective agonists for group I and group II mGluRs, respectively. 3. Previous studies that have examined the physiological roles of mGluRs have generally used agonists that do not differentiate between the various subtypes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


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