Valproate and carbamazepine increase prefrontal dopamine release by 5-HT1Areceptor activation

The anticonvulsant mood stabilizers valproic acid (250, 500 but not 50 mg/k g) and carbamazepine (6, 12.5 but not 3 mg/kg) were found to increase extra cellular dopamine levels in rat medial prefrontal cortex, but not nucleus a ccumbens. Increased prefrontal dopamine was completely abolished by the sel ective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]e thyl]-N-2-pyridinyl-cyclohexanecarboxamide (WAY100635, 0.05 mg/kg). Anticon vulsants and clozapine may share a common mood stabilizing mechanism since clozapine is reported to have mood stabilizing effects and increase prefron tal dopamine by 5-HT1A receptor activation. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.