A SIMPLE METHOD FOR MEASURING DOPAMINE RELEASE FROM RAT-BRAIN SLICES

In many circumstances, rapid information is required about the effects of drugs on neurotransmitter release in brain, and a common method us ed is measurement of radiolabelled release from superfused brain slice s or synaptosomes in vitro. However, the method requires expensive equ ipment and is not readily adapted to the measurement of endogenous rel ease. The method described here uses readily available cheap chromatog raphic columns to measure both radiolabelled and endogenous dopamine ( DA) release from striatal slices in repeated incubation samples. The r esults showed that the [H-3]DA release is sensitive to temperature, K-stimulation, and to both a DA agonist (pergolide) and an antagonist ( eticlopride). Endogenous DA release was also stimulated by high K+ (20 mM) and sensitive to a DA agonist. Pergolide (100 mu M) reduced both [H-3]DA and endogenous DA release, while eticlopride (10 mu M) increas ed [H-3]DA, but not endogenous DA release. The results demonstrate an alternative cheap and quick way to study neurotransmitter release from brain in vitro. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.