Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 384, Issue 2, 8 October 1986, Pages 387-390
Brain Research

Synergistic effects of D1 and D2 dopamine agonists on turning behaviour in rats

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(86)91178-9Get rights and content

Abstract

In rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the substantia nigra, a specific D1 dopamine receptor agonist, SKF 38393A, at a dose that does not itself produce turning, significantly increased the contralateral rotation observed following a low dose of the specific D2 agonist LY 171555. Doses of SKF 38393A or the D2 agonist bromocriptine, which would themselves not induce turning, in combination produced a high rate of turning. These results suggest a synergistic interaction between D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in this system.

References (13)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (182)

  • Contrasting gene expression patterns induced by levodopa and pramipexole treatments in the rat model of Parkinson's disease

    2016, Neuropharmacology
    Citation Excerpt :

    In our animals there was a marked correlation between the number of remaining dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the therapeutic effect induced by pramipexole (but not levodopa), so that animals with extensive degeneration show little response to pramipexole (Fig. 3C). The reduction of the therapeutic benefit obtained with D2 agonists as disease progresses is usually attributed to the loss of concomitant endogenous D1 receptor stimulation as dopaminergic cells degenerate in the substantia nigra (Dziewczapolski et al., 1997a; Robertson and Robertson, 1986; Treseder et al., 2000). But it is also suspected that patients tolerating D2 agonist monotherapy for longer periods, have slowly progressing forms of the disease.

  • Changes in firing rate and pattern of GABAergic neurons in subregions of the substantia nigra pars reticulata in rat models of Parkinson's disease

    2010, Brain Research
    Citation Excerpt :

    The results are in line with previous reports in the rodent and nonhuman primate models of PD (Burbaud et al., 1995; Murer et al., 1997; Wichmann et al., 1999). The increase of irregular and bursty SNr firing after the dopaminergic lesions may reflect an imbalance between the two striatal efferent pathways which normally act in synergy to control the activity of SNr neurons and the locomotion of animals (Paul et al., 1992; Robertson and Robertson, 1986). In contrast, the firing pattern of GABAergic neurons in the medial SNr did not change significantly after the SNc lesions.

  • Noradrenergic lesion of the locus coeruleus increases apomorphine-induced circling behavior and the firing activity of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

    2010, Brain Research
    Citation Excerpt :

    It has been suggested that the SNc modified the neuronal firing pattern rather than the firing rate of basal ganglia (Lee et al., 2001). The increase of irregular and bursty SNr firing after the SNc lesions may reflect an imbalance between the two striatal efferent pathways which normally act in synergy to control the activity of SNr neurons and the locomotion of animals (Robertson and Robertson, 1986; Paul et al., 1992). The dominant percentage of irregular firing neurons and their increased firing rate are responsible for the increase in the mean firing rate of recorded SNr neurons as a whole in SNc-lesioned rats.

  • Therapeutic potential of adenosine A<inf>2A</inf> receptor antagonists in Parkinson's disease

    2005, Pharmacology and Therapeutics
    Citation Excerpt :

    Similarly, daily treatment with amphetamine induced an increase in dynorphin mRNA in WT but not in A2A KO mice (Chen et al., 2003a, 2003b). This apparent cross-talk between A2A and D1 receptors (or between striatopallidal and striatonigral neurons) could be explained by an interaction at the network level, similar to that underlying the synergistic effect of dopamine D1 and D2 agonists (Robertson & Robertson, 1986; Paul et al., 1992). Thus, a polysynaptic interaction, as well as a direct postsynaptic action of the A2A receptor on striatopallidal neurons, might contribute to its potential facilitation of behavioral sensitization to repeated dopaminergic stimuli.

View all citing articles on Scopus

This work was supported by The Parkinson Foundation of Canada and the Medical Research Council.

1

We thank Dr. Georgia Cottrell for advice and M.R. Peterson for assistance. SKF 38393A was a gift of Smith Kline and French. LY 171555 was a gift of Lilly Laboratories. Bromocriptine was a gift of Sandoz.

View full text