EXCITOTOXIC LESIONS OF THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX REDUCE DOPAMINE D-1-LIKERECEPTORS IN THE VENTRAL TEGMENTAL AREA

Ventral mesencephalic dopamine D-1-like receptors were quantified in b rains of male rats ten days after unilateral microinjections of iboten ic acid (2 or 10 mu g/mu l) or its vehicle into the medial prefrontal cortex. The density of dopamine D-1-like receptors was reduced by more than 40% in the ipsilateral ventral tegmental area (both doses) and b y 15% (low dose) and 44% (high dose) in the contralateral side; no sig nificant reduction was observed in the substantia nigra. These results suggest that a significant number of ventral tegmental D-1-like recep tors are localized on afferent terminals from the medial prefrontal co rtex. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.