LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF POSTNATAL HYPOXIA AND FLUNARIZINE ON THE DOPAMINERGIC SYSTEM

Long-term changes of learning behavior and of the striatal dopaminergi c system were observed in a rat model of early postnatal hypoxia. Stri atal dopamine (DA) concentration, K+-stimulated DA release from slices , and DA uptake into crude synaptosomal preparations (S1 fractions) we re used as markers of the striatal DAergic system. Active avoidance le arning was tested as behavioral criterion. Cyclodextrin and flunarizin e were found to produce long-term effects on the DAergic system in con trol animals. While cyclodextrin normalized hypoxia-induced effects in DA release, flunarizine prevented those in DA uptake and improved avo idance learning.