Motor effects of cholinergic stimulation of the globus pallidus in rats

Forty-seven rats were cannulated permanently in either the globus pallidus or neostriatum and subsequently injected with carbachol, scopolamine, or carbachol plus scopolamine. The injection of carbachol (1 mug) into the globus pallidus produced transient hyperkinetic phasic dyskinesias (84%) followed in some cases by ipsilateral circling (47%) associated with hypertonic contralateral hind limbs. This condition progressed in some rats to a cataleptic state (42%). The injection of scopolamine (50 mug) or scopolamine (50mug) plus carbachol (1 mug) into the pallidum produced ipsilateral circling associated with hypotonia of the contralateral hind limb in a few rats. No hyperkinetic dyskinesias nor catalepsy were produced by these injections. The injection of carbachol (1 mug) into the neostriatum produced hyperkinetic dyskinesias (86%) of long duration, minimal circling (both directions) (10%), and catalepsy (29%). These effects were blocked by the addition of 50 mug of scopolamine to the carbachol injection. Scopolamine (50-100 mug) alone produced no effects after injection into the caudate/putamen. Saline injections in the neostriatum or globus pallidus produced no motor disturbance.