Inhibitory Effect of NMDA on Dopaminergic Transmission in a Slice Preparation of Rat Globus Pallidus

Abstract

The effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) on KCl-evoked endogenous dopamine (DA) release from slices of rat globus pallidus (GP) was examined. NMDA inhibited the KCl-evoked DA release in a dose-dependent manner. This in hibition was blocked by CPP, an NMDA antagonist. Tetrodotoxin partially antagonized the effect of NMDA. The NMDA-induced inhibition was also partially antagonized by bicuculline methiodide and was mimicked by muscimol. These results strongly suggest that 1) an activation of NMDA receptors exerts an inhibitory effect on dopaminergic transmission in GP and 2) GABAergic transmission is involved in the effect of NMDA.