Df. Cook et D. Wirtshafter, Quinpirole attenuates the striatal immediate early gene expression, but not the hyperactivity, induced by the serotonin agonist RU-24969, BRAIN RES, 852(2), 2000, pp. 247-254
Systemic administration of the mixed 5-HT1A/1B agonist RU-24969 has been sh
own to produce a dramatic increase in locomotor activity and to induce robu
st c-Fos expression in the rat striatum. Previous studies have also shown t
hat pretreatment with the D-2-like dopamine agonist quinpirole virtually ab
olishes RU-24969-induced striatal c-Fos expression. The present study was u
ndertaken to determine whether the effects of RU-24969 on immediate early g
ene expression extend to the additional Fos family transcription factors Fo
sB and Fra-2. Additionally, this study quantitatively examined the effect o
f quinpirole pretreatment on the ability of RU-24969 to induce both locomot
or hyperactivity and striatal immediate early gene expression. RU-24969 alo
ne produced elevations in locomotor activity and induced clear expression o
f c-Fos, FosB and Fra-2 throughout the entire striatal complex. Quinpirole
pretreatment virtually abolished RU-24969-induced expression of all three t
ranscription factors, but did not alter the elevated locomotor activity pro
duced by RU-24969. These results demonstrate that the effects of RU-24969 o
n locomotor activity can be dissociated from its effects on immediate early
gene expression within the striatum. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri
ghts reserved.