NMDA-INDUCED AND MK801-INDUCED CHANGES IN DOPAMINE RELEASE ARE ATTENUATED IN KAINIC ACID-LESIONED NUCLEUS-ACCUMBENS OF CONSCIOUS RATS - AN IN-VIVO MICRODIALYSIS STUDY

Local application of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and a NMDA receptor a ntagonist, MK801 through the dialysis membrane into the nucleus accumb ens (NAC) caused a significant decrease and increase in extracellular dopamine (DA) in the NAC of conscious rats, respectively. These neuroc hemical changes were significantly smaller in the kainic acid (KA)-les ioned NAC than in the intact NAG. These findings show that locally app lied NMDA and MK801 into the NAC modulate DA release mainly through in direct mechanism involving putative GABA neuron of the NAG. (C) 1998 E lsevier Science B.V.