2003 Volume 45 Issue 4 Pages 185-192
The role of GABAA and GABAB receptors in the core of the nucleus accumbens in turning behavior of rats was investigated. Unilateral injections into the core of the nucleus accumbens of the GABAA receptor agonist (muscimol, 50 ng) and antagonist (bicuculline, 200 ng), and the GABAB receptor agonist (baclofen, 100 ng) and antagonist (2-hydroxysaclofen, 2 μg) did not produce turning behavior. In rats pretreated with unilateral injections of the dopamine D1-like/D2-like receptor antagonist, cis (Z) -flupentixol (10 pg), into the ventrolateral striatum and saline into the nucleus accumbens core of contralateral side, systemic injection of a mixture of dopamine D1-like (SKF 38393, 3 mg/kg) and D2-like (quinpirole, 1 mg/kg) receptor agonists has been found to elicit contraversive pivoting, namely pivoting away from the side of the core injection. This dopamine D1-like/D2-like receptor-mediated pivoting was significantly inhibited by injections into the core of the nucleus accumbens of muscimol (50 ng), but not bicuculline (200 ng). In contrast, the dopamine D1-like/D2-like receptor-mediated pivoting was suppressed by either baclofen (100 ng) or 2-hydroxysaclofen (2 pg) injected into the nucleus accumbens core. It is therefore concluded that neither GABAA nor GABAB receptor stimulation in the core of the nucleus accumbens produces turning behavior, and that GABAA, but not GABAB, receptors in the nucleus accumbens core may modulate dopamine D1-like/D2-like receptor-mediated pivoting. (J Oral Sci. 45, 185-192, 2003)