The role of dopamine in epilepsy

Dopamine D4 receptor-deficient mice display cortical hyperexcitability

The dopamine D(4) receptor (D(4)R) is predominantly expressed in the frontal cortex (FC), a brain region that receives dense input from midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons and is associated with cognitive and emotional processes. However, the physiological significance of this dopamine receptor subtype has been difficult to explore because of the slow development of D(4)R agonists and antagonists the selectivity and efficacy of which have been rigorously demonstrated in vivo. We have attempted to overcome this limitation by taking a multidimensional approach to the characterization of mice completely deficient in this receptor subtype. Electrophysiological current and voltage-clamp recordings were performed in cortical pyramidal neurons from wild-type and D(4)R-deficient mice. The frequency of spontaneous synaptic activity and the frequency and duration of paroxysmal discharges induced by epileptogenic agents were increased in mutant mice. Enhanced synaptic activity was also observed in brain slices of wild-type mice incubated in the presence of the selective D(4)R antagonist PNU-101387G. Consistent with greater electrophysiological activity, nerve terminal glutamate density associated with asymmetrical synaptic contacts within layer VI of the motor cortex was reduced in mutant neurons. Taken together, these results suggest that the D(4)R can function as an inhibitory modulator of glutamate activity in the FC.

Neuronal hypersynchronization, creativity and endogenous psychoses

I have investigated a neuronal hypersynchronism, currently included under the general subject of epilepsy, and termed interictal activity. I suggest that it is a physiological activity of the mammalian brain and propose it be termed Hyperia. After a thorough study of the extraordinary psychic manifestations of this neuronal hypersynchronism shown by mystics and artists, I have reviewed several scientific publications bearing on my hypothesis. I conclude by elaborating on a variety of cerebral hypersynchronous functions whose cause I consider to be physiological. Such behaviour is a common basis for extraordinary psychic manifestations found not only in mystics and artists, but also in patients suffering from endogenous psychoses, especially Bipolar Disorder.

Biogenic amines in the human neocortex in patients with neocortical and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: identification with in situ microvoltammetry

Biogenic amines in well defined subtypes of human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) have not been well characterized. Specimens from five patients with neocortical TLE (NTLE) and nine with mesial TLE (MTLE) were immediately placed in Ringer's lactate; stearate indicator microelectrodes were placed in temporal gray matter, Ag/AgCl reference microelectrodes and auxiliary microelectrodes were placed 3-7 mm contralaterally to the indicator microelectrode. Dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) were identified by their characteristic oxidative potentials in vitro. Four of five patients with NTLE had NE depletion in temporal neocortex while eight of nine patients with MTLE had high concentrations of NE (chi-square P<0.01). Significant concentrations of DA were present in the temporal lobes of three of five NTLE patients but in only one of the nine MTLE patients (chi-square P<0.05). 5-HT was present in the neocortex of both NTLE and MTLE patients in similar concentrations. AA was found in the neocortex of one NTLE patient. These data support an association between NE depletion and NTLE. The relative NE deficiency along with the consistent presence of DA in NTLE patients suggest an impairment in the catecholamine pathway. The presence of AA, a co-factor in NE synthesis, in the neocortex of one NTLE patient may also be related since AA is a cofactor in NE synthesis.

SCH 23390 affords protection against soman-evoked seizures in the freely moving guinea-pig: a concomitant neurochemical, electrophysiological and behavioural study

We studied the role of striatal dopamine (DA) release in seizure activity evoked by the subcutaneous administration of the cholinesterase inhibitor pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (soman), in the guinea-pig. The involvement of the dopamine receptor subtypes was studied by systemic administration of the D(1)-like receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (0.5 mg kg(-1)) or the D(2)-like receptor antagonist sulpiride (30 mg kg(-1)). Microdialysis and HPLC with electrochemical detection were used to monitor changes in extracellular levels of striatal DA and its metabolites, acetylcholine and choline. These data were correlated with changes in the striatal and cortical electroencephalogram and observation of predefined clinical signs. We found that the blockade of the D(1) receptor with SCH 23390 can inhibit seizure activity, while blockade of the D(2) receptor with sulpiride can augment the evoked seizure activity. These results clarify the involvement of the dopaminergic system in soman-evoked seizures.

Endogenous melatonin and epileptogenesis: facts and hypothesis

In human epilepsy, diurnal variation in seizure phenomena suggests the involvement of a time-dependent biological signal. Clinical evidence indicates that in some cases, temporal clustering of epileptic seizures is in phase with the nocturnal rise in circulating melatonin. Although this hormone has been reported to stabilize the brain against seizure-producing stimuli, these pharmacological doses are not representative of physiological conditions but would nonetheless facilitate widespread inhibitory neurotransmission characteristic of traditional anticonvulsants. Instead, it is proposed that endogenous melatonin contributes to epileptiform activity through inhibitory actions on dopaminergic activity. Dopamine is considered a natural downregulator of seizure activity in a number of species, including humans, and numerous lines of evidence suggest that melatonin is capable of stimulating a decrease in dopamine output within areas of the brain thought to participate in the control of epileptic seizures. Pharmacological manipulation of the endogenous melatonin rhythm may provide a useful therapeutic strategy against the occurrence of seizures during increased hormone production.

Dopamine in the striatum modulates seizures in a genetic model of absence epilepsy in the rat

Inhibition of the substantia nigra pars reticulata has been shown to suppress seizures in different animal models of epilepsy. The striatum is the main input of the substantia nigra pars reticulata. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of dopaminergic neurotransmission within the striatum in the control of absence seizures in a genetic model in the rat. Injections of mixed dopaminergic D1/D2 or of selective D1 or D2 agonists or antagonists in the dorsal parts of the striatum led to suppression of absence seizures associated with strong behavioral and electroencephalographic side-effects. When injected in the ventral part of the striatum (i.e. the nucleus accumbens core), all these agonists and antagonists respectively decreased and increased absence seizures without behavioral or electroencephalographic side-effects. Combined injections of low doses of a D1 and a D2 agonist in the core of the nucleus accumbens had an additive effect in absence seizures suppression. Furthermore, combined injections of low doses of a GABA(A) agonist and a N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist in the substantia nigra also had cumulative effects in absence seizures suppression. These results show that dopamine neurotransmission in the core of the nucleus accumbens is critical in the control of absence seizures. The modulatory and additive effects on absence seizures of dopaminergic neurotransmission through both the D1 and D2 receptors in the core of the nucleus accumbens further suggest that ventral pathways of the basal ganglia system are involved in the modulation of absence seizures.

Neuroprotective role of dopamine against hippocampal cell death

Glutamate excitotoxicity plays a key role in the induction of neuronal cell death occurring in many neuropathologies, including epilepsy. Systemic administration of the glutamatergic agonist kainic acid (KA) is a well characterized model to study epilepsy-induced brain damage. KA-evoked seizures in mice result in hippocampal cell death, with the exception of some strains that are resistant to KA excitotoxicity. Little is known about the factors that prevent epilepsy-related neurodegeneration. Here we show that dopamine has such a function through the activation of the D2 receptor (D2R). D2R gene inactivation confers susceptibility to KA excitotoxicity in two mouse strains known to be resistant to KA-induced neurodegeneration. D2R-/- mice develop seizures when administered KA doses that are not epileptogenic for wild-type (WT) littermates. The spatiotemporal pattern of c-fos and c-jun mRNA induction well correlates with the occurrence of seizures in D2R-/- mice. Moreover, KA-induced seizures result in extensive hippocampal cell death in D2R-/- but not WT mice. In KA-treated D2R-/- mice, hippocampal neurons die by apoptosis, as indicated by the presence of fragmented DNA and the induction of the proapoptotic protein BAX. These results reveal a central role of D2Rs in the inhibitory control of glutamate neurotransmission and excitotoxicity.

Changes in striatal electroencephalography and neurochemistry induced by kainic acid seizures are modified by dopamine receptor antagonists

We investigated the involvement of striatal dopamine release in electrographic and motor seizure activity evoked by kainic acid in the guinea pig. The involvement of the dopamine receptor subtypes was studied by systemic administration of the dopamine D(1) receptor antagonist, R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrochloride (SCH 23390; 0.5 mg kg(-1)), or the dopamine D(2) antagonist, (5-aminosulphonyl)-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)-methyl]-2-methoxybenzamide (sulpiride, 30 mg kg(-1)). Microdialysis and high performance liquid chromatography were used to monitor changes in extracellular levels of striatal dopamine and its metabolites, glutamate, aspartate and gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA). These data were correlated with changes in the striatal and cortical electroencephalographs and clinical signs. We found that, although neither dopamine receptor antagonist inhibited behavioural seizure activity, blockade of the dopamine D(1)-like receptor with SCH 23390 significantly reduced both the 'power' of the electrical seizure activity and the associated change in extracellular striatal concentration of glutamate, whilst increasing the extracellular striatal concentration of GABA. In contrast, blockade of the dopamine D(2)-like receptor with sulpiride significantly increased the extracellular, striatal content of glutamate and the dopamine metabolites. These results confirm previous evidence in other models of chemically-evoked seizures that antagonism of the dopamine D(1) receptor tends to reduce motor and electrographic seizure activity as well as excitatory amino-acid transmitter activity, while antagonism of the dopamine D(2) receptor has relatively less apparent effect.

On the role of prefrontal cortex glutamate for the antithetical phenomenology of obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

1. The objective of the present study was to compare the phenomenology and pathophysiology of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/deficits in attention, motor control and perception (ADHD/DAMP). 2. Through detailed studies of the literature on OCD and ADHD/DAMP, the phenomenology of these two conditions is compared, and possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms involving interactions between glutamate, dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine are discussed, with emphasis on OCD. The present paper also discusses possible mechanisms of action for current pharmacological treatments of OCD and ADHD, as well as possible future treatment strategies for these disorders. 3. OCD and ADHD/DAMP are common neuropsychiatric conditions which in many regards appear to be each other's antipodes with respect to clinical manifestations, associated personality traits and brain biochemistry, notably prefrontal cortical glutamate activity. Future pharmacological treatments of these disorders may involve manipulations with glutamate, dopamine D , serotonin 2A and nicotine receptors. 4. It appears that OCD is a hyperglutamatergic and ADHD a hypoglutamatergic condition, with prefrontal brain regions being especially affected.

SCH 23390: the first selective dopamine D1-like receptor antagonist

SCH 23390, the halobenzazepine (R)-(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5- tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine, is a highly potent and selective dopamine D1-like receptor antagonist with a K(i) of 0.2 and 0.3 nM for the D1 and D5 dopamine receptor subtypes, respectively. In vitro, it also binds with high affinity to the 5-HT2 and 5-HT1C serotonin receptor subtypes. However, the doses required to induce a similar response in vivo are greater than 10-fold higher than those required to induce a D1-mediated response. Previous in vivo pharmacological studies with SCH 23390 have shown it to abolish generalized seizures evoked by the chemoconvulsants: pilocarpine and soman. These studies provide evidence of the potential importance of D1-like dopaminergic receptor mechanisms in facilitating the initiation and spread of seizures. The inference from a majority of studies is that the activation of dopamine D1 receptors facilitates seizure activity, whereas activation of D2 receptors may inhibit the development of seizures. SCH 23390 has also been used in studies of other neurological disorders in which the dopamine system has been implicated, such as psychosis and Parkinson's disease. Apart from the study of neurological disorders, SCH 23390 has been extensively used as a tool in the topographical determination of brain D1 receptors in rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans. In summary, SCH 23390 has been a major tool in gaining a better understanding of the role of the dopamine system, more specifically the D1 receptor, in neurological function and dysfunction.

Action of 4-aminopyridine on extracellular amino acids in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex: a dual microdialysis and electroencehalographic study in awake rats

In order to study the role of amino acids in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex during the convulsive process induced by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), we have used a device allowing the simultaneous microdialysis and the recording of their electrical activity of both regions in freely moving rats. We found that infusion of 4-AP into the entorhinal cortex resulted in a large increase in extracellular glutamate and glutamine and small increases in glycine and taurine levels. Likewise, infusion of 4-AP into the hippocampus resulted in a major increase in glutamate, as well as slight increases in taurine and glycine. In both infused regions the peak concentration of extracellular glutamate was observed 15 min after 4-AP administration. No significant changes were found in the non-infused hippocampus or entorhinal cortex of the same rats. Simultaneous electroencephalographic recordings showed intense epileptiform activity starting during 4-AP infusion and lasting for the rest of the experiment (1 h) in both the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus. The discharges were characterized by poly-spikes and spike-wave complexes that propagated almost immediately to the other region studied. These findings suggest that increased glutamatergic synaptic function in the circuit that connects both regions is involved in the epileptic seizures induced by 4-AP.

Monoamine neurotransmitters in resected hippocampal subparcellations from neocortical and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy patients: in situ microvoltammetric studies

It is known that epilepsy patients diagnosed with neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy (NTLE), differ from those diagnosed with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), e.g., in hippocampal (HPC) pathology. In the present studies, we tested the hypothesis that NTLE and MTLE subtypes of human epilepsy might differ in regards to their HPC monoamine neurochemistry. Monoamine neurotransmitters were studied in separate signals and within s with semiderivative microvoltammetry, used in combination with stearate indicator, Ag-AgCl reference and stainless steel auxiliary microelectrodes. Anterior HPC specimens from the patients' epileptogenic zone, defined by electrocorticography, were resected neurosurgically from 13 consecutive patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. Four patients were diagnosed with NTLE and nine with MTLE. The criteria for the diagnosis of NTLE versus MTLE was absence versus presence of HPC sclerosis, respectively, based on MRI examination of resected tissue. In addition, NTLE patients demonstrated seizure onset in anterolateral temporal neocortex on electroencephalography (EEG). HPC subparcellations studied were: (a) Granular Cells of the Dentate Gyrus (DG), (b) Polymorphic Layer of DG and (c) Pyramidal Layer: subfields, CA1 and CA2. Dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE) and ascorbic acid (AA) (co-factor in DA to NE synthesis), exhibited separate and characteristic half-wave potentials in millivolts. Each half-wave potential, i.e., the potential at which maximum current was generated, was experimentally established in vitro. Concentrations of neurotransmitters found in HPC subparcellations were interpolated from calibration curves derived in vitro from electrochemical detection of monoamines and AA in saline phosphate buffer. Significant differences between subtypes in concentration of monoamines were analyzed by the Mann Whitney rank sum test and those differences in probability distribution of monoamines were analyzed by the Fisher Exact test; in each case, P<0.01 was the criteria selected for determining statistical significance. DA concentrations were higher in NTLE compared with MTLE in each HPC subparcellation [P=0.037, 0.024 and 0.007, respectively (P<0.01)] and DA occurred more frequently in NTLE in the Pyramidal Layer [P=0.077 (P<0.01)]. AA was present in one NTLE patient. NE concentrations were higher in MTLE vs. NTLE in each subparcellation [P=0.012, 0.067 and 0.07, respectively (P<0.01)] and NE occurred more frequently in MTLE in Granular Cells of DG and Pyramidal Layer [P=0.052 and 0.014, respectively (P<0.01)]. In MTLE, NE concentrations in the CA1 subfield of the Pyramidal Layer were decreased vs. the CA2 subfield [P=0.063 (P<0.01)]. Serotonin was found in every HPC subparcellation of each subtype but 5-HT concentrations were higher in NTLE vs. MTLE in the Granular Cells of DG and the Pyramidal Layer (CA1 subfield) [P=0.076 and 0.095, respectively (P<0.01)]. Thus, this preliminary study showed that marked differences in HPC monoamine neurochemistry occurred in NTLE patients as compared with MTLE patients.

Behaviors induced or disrupted by complex partial seizures

We reviewed the neural mechanisms underlying some postictal behaviors that are induced or disrupted by temporal lobe seizures in humans and animals. It is proposed that the psychomotor behaviors and automatisms induced by temporal lobe seizures are mediated by the nucleus accumbens. A non-convulsive hippocampal afterdischarge in rats induced an increase in locomotor activity, which was suppressed by the injection of dopamine D(2) receptor antagonist in the nucleus accumbens, and blocked by inactivation of the medial septum. In contrast, a convulsive hippocampal or amygdala seizure induced behavioral hypoactivity, perhaps by the spread of the seizure into the frontal cortex and opiate-mediated postictal depression. Mechanisms underlying postictal psychosis, memory disruption and other long-term behavioral alterations after temporal lobe seizures, are discussed. In conclusion, many of the changes of postictal behaviors observed after temporal lobe seizures in humans may be found in animals, and the basis of the behavioral change may be explained as a change in neural processing in the temporal lobe and the connecting subcortical structures.

Amantadine-induced multiple spike waves on an electroencephalogram of a schizophrenic patient

Although amantadine is relatively free of side effects compared with levodopa, the incidence and severity of unwanted effects, such as hallucinations, insomnia and dizziness, markedly increase when the daily dose exceeds 200 mg. A 63-year-old schizophrenic female developed the Pisa syndrome following neuroleptic medication. She was started on a regimen of amantadine, 200 mg per day, on September 4, and the electroencephalogram (EEG) on September 11 was within normal limits. The dosage was increased to 300 mg on September 18 because there was no improvement and no side effects. Two days later a generalised convulsion occurred and an EEG revealed frequent multiple spikes or sharp waves with slow waves. No epileptic seizure has been observed since the amantadine was discontinued. The EEG on September 27 was again within normal limits. To our knowledge, the EEG of a patient with convulsion induced by amantadine has not been described previously. The epileptic mechanisms of amantadine have not been elucidated; however, it may be related to a modulating role of dopamine in the central nervous system.

Behavioral, psychotic, and anxiety disorders in epilepsy: etiology, clinical features, and therapeutic implications

This chapter deals with some aspects of psychiatric disturbances in people with epilepsy. Because depression and its treatment are extensively described later in this issue, they are not discussed here. The same pertains to forced normalization.

Cortical catecholamine changes and seizures induced by 4-aminopyridine in awake rats, studied with a dual microdialysis-electrical recording technique

We describe a rotatory electrical device that permits the simultaneous microdialysis and electroencephalographic (EEG) recording, by means of bipolar electrodes attached to the microdialysis probe, in two brain regions of awake rats. Using this device, we have found that the microdialysis infusion of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in the motor cerebral cortex produces intense behavioral convulsions and EEG seizures in both the infused and the contralateral cortex. This convulsant action is accompanied by a remarkable increase of extracellular dopamine (about 15-fold), norepinephrine (2.4-fold) and vanillylmandelic acid (1.8-fold) concentration in the infused cortex. Delayed increases of these amines were observed also in the contralateral cortex. The results suggest that 4-AP induces the release of catecholamines either through a direct effect on nerve endings or as a consequence of seizures.

EEG background delta activity in temporal lobe epilepsy: correlation with volumetric and spectroscopic imaging

PURPOSE

With quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) and neuroimaging methods, we examined delta activity, atrophy, and neuronal-axonal dysfunction of the cerebral gray and white matter in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Based on evidence that lesions of the white matter result in EEG delta activity, we postulated that background abnormalities in patients with TLE are related to changes of the temporal lobe white matter.

METHODS

We measured interictal delta activity in 34 TLE patients and 10 controls. Spike-free and artifact-free EEG samples were selected by visual inspection. A spectral analysis was used to compute the energy in the delta frequency band. We compared the results of the spectral analysis to magnetic resonance imaging- (MRI) based volumes of the temporal lobe white and gray matter, the hippocampus and the amygdala; and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) in the lateral and posterior temporal lobe by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H-MRSI). The degree of correlation between delta activity and the neuroimaging measurements was assessed by using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the influence of the seizure-focus lateralization on the delta activity and the neuroimaging parameters.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the amount of delta activity in the temporal lobe between the controls and patients. We found no correlation between delta activity and the neuroimaging measures (p>0.05). The ANOVA showed significant differences between the patients and controls for the volume of the gray and white matter of the temporal lobe and for the NAA in the lateral and posterior temporal lobe (p<0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The interictal background delta activity was not explained by reduced volume of the temporal lobe white matter, gray matter, or by abnormalities seen in 1H-MRSI.

Pharmacological and environmental determinants of relapse to cocaine-seeking behavior

Animal models have been developed that simulate relevant features of relapse to cocaine-seeking behavior in humans. These models have provided valuable information about pharmacological and environmental factors that precipitate reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-seeking in rats and monkeys, as well as new insights about potential pharmacotherapies for relapse prevention. Reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in animals can be induced by cocaine priming or by cocaine-paired environmental stimuli: however, maximum reinstatement of drug-seeking appears to be induced when cocaine priming and cocaine-paired stimuli are combined. Drugs that share cocaine's indirect dopamine agonist properties or that act as direct agonists at D2-like dopamine receptors also induce reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior, whereas with some exceptions (e.g., caffeine, morphine) drugs from other pharmacological classes do not. D1-like receptor agonists block rather than mimic the priming effects of cocaine, suggesting different roles for D1- and D2-like receptor mechanisms in cocaine relapse. Although considerable overlap exists, drugs that exhibit cocaine-like discriminative stimulus and/ or reinforcing effects in other situations do not invariably induce cocaine-like reinstatement of drug-seeking and vice versa, implying that these effects are not simply different behavioral expressions of a unitary neurobiological process. Finally, recent findings with D1-like receptor agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists suggest that some of these drugs may be viable candidates for development as antirelapse pharmacotherapies.

Effects of diazepam on extracellular brain neurotransmitters in pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats

The present study was undertaken to gain insights into the mechanism of action of diazepam in focally-evoked pilocarpine-induced seizures by concomitantly assessing the changes produced in the extracellular levels of glutamate, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and dopamine. In vivo microdialysis, coupled to continuous monitoring of electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings, was performed in freely moving rats. Intrahippocampal perfusion with 10 mM pilocarpine (40 min, 2 microl/min) produced limbic seizures. A single dose of intraperitoneal diazepam (5 mg/kg) was administered 2 h after pilocarpine perfusion was started. Dialysates were sampled both from hippocampus and cerebellum and analysed by microbore liquid chromatography. Diazepam produced instant inhibition of behavioural and ECoG seizure activity. Pilocarpine-induced increases in the extracellular levels of glutamate and dopamine in hippocampus were promptly reduced by diazepam. No concurrent alterations in pilocarpine-induced increases in the extracellular levels of GABA in either hippocampus or cerebellum were seen. Pilocarpine enhanced cerebellar glutamate levels only transiently and levels returned to baseline before diazepam administration. No further changes in cerebellar glutamate levels were observed with diazepam. Our findings suggest that the anti-convulsant action of diazepam against pilocarpine-induced seizures is associated with a prompt attenuation of extracellular hippocampal glutamate overflow without concurrent alteration of pilocarpine-induced increases in endogenous GABA levels. Diazepam also significantly decreased pilocarpine-induced increases in extracellular dopamine levels within the hippocampus. No immediate alterations of the basal levels of the neurotransmitters monitored were observed with diazepam.

Clozapine: dopamine D1 receptor agonism in the prefrontal cortex as the code to decipher a Rosetta stone of antipsychotic drugs

A large number of ligand binding studies have shown that clozapine has a number of receptor affinities, including those of the dopamine (DA) D1 and D2 receptor families. The study of intrinsic efficacy at these receptors is less straight-forward. In the experiments summarised here, evidence is presented that clozapine behaves as an agonist at DA D1 receptors. Thus, the hypothermia produced by clozapine (2.5 mg kg(-1)) in the rat is fully antagonised by either of the selective DA D1 receptor antagonists SCH-23390 (0.1 mg kg(-1)) or NNC-687 (4 mg kg(-1)). These results provide an intriguing explanation for the clinical profile of clozapine as an atypical antipsychotic drug. Thus, there are supporting clinical and laboratory observations implicating DA D1 receptors in the prefrontal cortex in cognitive functions. Finally, clozapine displays features with regard to extrapyramidal motor mechanisms, and seizure thresholds, that could be explained by its properties as a DA D1 receptor agonist.

Dopamine modulation of membrane and synaptic properties of interneurons in rat cerebral cortex

Dopamine (DA) is an endogenous neuromodulator in the mammalian brain. However, it is still controversial how DA modulates excitability and input-output relations in cortical neurons. It was suggested that DA innervation of dendritic spines regulates glutamatergic inputs to pyramidal neurons, but no experiments were done to test this idea. By recording individual neurons under direct visualization we found that DA enhances inhibitory neuron excitability but decreases pyramidal cell excitability, through depolarization and hyperpolarization, respectively. Accordingly, DA also increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). In the presence of TTX, DA did not affect the frequency, amplitude, or kinetics of miniature IPSCs and excitatory postsynaptic currents in inhibitory interneurons or pyramidal cells. Our results suggest that DA can directly excite cortical interneurons, but there is no detectable DA gate to regulate spontaneous GABA and glutamate release or the properties of postsynaptic GABA and glutamate receptors in neocortical neurons.

Presynaptic inhibition by dopamine of a discrete component of GABA release in rat substantia nigra pars reticulata

1. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were made from substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) neurones in rat midbrain slices. Monosynaptic IPSCs were evoked by electrical stimulation of the cerebral peduncle in the presence of the glutamate receptor antagonists CNQX (6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione) and AP5 (2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid). 2. IPSCs were predominantly outward at -70 mV (in 124/135 cells), with a reversal potential of -83 mV, a time to peak of 2.6 ms and a decay time constant of 6.5 ms. Faster inward IPSCs were also observed in thirty-five cells, with a time to peak of 1.0 ms, a decay time constant of 2.3 ms, and a reversal potential of -61 mV. Both IPSCs were sensitive to the GABAA receptor antagonists picrotoxin or bicuculline. 3. In cells recorded with Cs+-filled pipettes, the outward IPSC reversal potential was shifted to -76 mV, closer to the estimated Cl- equilibrium potential of -56 mV, while that of the inward IPSC was unchanged at -64 mV. 4. The outward IPSC was reversibly depressed by up to 100 % by dopamine in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 10.5 microM, while the inward IPSC was relatively insensitive. 5. Dopamine was without effect on cell holding current, or on outward IPSC reversal potential, but it increased paired-pulse IPSC facilitation, consistent with a presynaptic site of action. 6. The D1-like dopamine receptor agonist SKF 38393 (10 microM) depressed the outward IPSC by 43 %, while the D2-like dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole (10 microM) was without effect. 7. It is concluded that GABA-ergic synaptic input onto distal rather than proximal regions of SNr neurones is susceptible to presynaptic inhibition via a D1-like receptor. These inputs are probably from striato-nigral fibres, and their inhibition by dopamine is likely to influence the patterning of basal ganglia output.

The role of basal ganglia in the control of generalized absence seizures

During the last two decades, evidence has accumulated to demonstrate the existence, in the central nervous system, of an endogenous mechanism that exerts an inhibitory control over different forms of epileptic seizures. The substantia nigra and the superior colliculus have been described as key structures in this control circuit; inhibition of GABAergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars reticulata results in suppression of seizures in various animal models of epilepsy. The role in this control mechanism of the direct GABAergic projection from the striatum to the substantia nigra and of the indirect pathway, from the striatum through the globus pallidus and the subthalamic nucleus, was examined in a genetic model of absence seizures in the rat. In this model, pharmacological manipulations of both the direct and indirect pathways resulted in modulation of absence seizures. Activation of the direct pathway or inhibition of the indirect pathway suppressed absence seizures through disinhibition of neurons in the deep and intermediate layers of the superior colliculus. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens, appear to be critical in these suppressive effects. Along with data from the literature, our results suggest that basal ganglia circuits play a major role in the modulation of absence seizures and provide a framework to understand the role of these circuits in the modulation of generalized seizures.

Mechanisms and functional significance of a slow inhibitory potential in neurons of the lateral amygdala

A slow inhibitory potential (sIP) elicited upon synaptic activation in spiny, pyramidal-like cells with properties indicative of projection neurons was investigated in slices of the rat and guinea-pig lateral amygdala in vitro. The sIP succeeded the triphasic sequence of excitatory and fast/slow inhibitory postsynaptic potentials mediated via glutamate and GABA(A/B) receptors, respectively, was readily evoked upon repetitive stimulation of the external capsule and appeared to terminate epileptiform burst discharges during pharmacologically reduced GABAergic influence. The sIP reversed close to the Cl- equilibrium potential, but was not affected by altered transmembrane Cl- gradients and not abolished by antagonists to ligand-gated Cl- channels. Intracellular injection of QX 314 and resulting blockade of sodium spikes had no effect, whereas the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA blocked the sIP concomitantly with slow hyperpolarizing afterpotentials following intrinsically generated spike firing, thereby indicating the contribution of Ca2+-dependent mechanisms secondary to synaptic activation. During action of BAPTA and QX 314, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated potential was unmasked, which contributed to the sIP. The Ca2+-dependent mechanisms of the sIP involved a membrane K+ conductance, as was indicated by the dependence on the K+ gradient and the shift of the reversal potential towards the K+ equilibrium potential during blocked NMDA receptors. During the presence of GABA receptor antagonists, reduction of the Ca2+-activated K+ conductance through injection of BAPTA or application of dopamine induced a gradual shift of interictal-like single bursts of spikes towards the generation of re-occurring ictal-like activity. It is concluded that pyramidal-like projection cells in the AL can generate a sIP upon synaptic activation, which reflects the combined activation of an NMDA receptor-mediated cation current and a K+ current that is secondary to the rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentration resulting from the preceding depolarizing response. The sIP may play an important role in controlling excitatory activity in the amygdala, particularly in preventing the transformation of interictal-like activity towards recurrent epileptic discharges during periods of decreased GABAergic influence.

Epileptiform discharge induced by 4-aminopyridine in magnesium-free medium in neocortical neurons: physiological and pharmacological characterization

An in vitro model of epileptiform activity was developed to study the role of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the epileptogenesis. Intracellular recordings were obtained from rat neocortical slices exposed to 4-aminopyridine in a magnesium-free solution. Spontaneous epileptiform activity consisting of paroxysmal depolarization shifts with associated spontaneous depolarizing postsynaptic potentials were observed. The paroxysmal depolarization shifts were blocked either by D,L-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (50 microM), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, or by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2.3-dione (10 microM), a non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist. These glutamate receptor antagonists also reduced the occurrence of spontaneous depolarizing postsynaptic potentials. Bicuculline methiodide, an antagonist of GABAA receptors, suppressed spontaneous depolarizing postsynaptic potentials, while it reduced the frequency of paroxysmal depolarization shifts and increased their duration. Hyperpolarization of the membrane potential by continuous current injection increased the frequency of paroxysmal depolarization shifts and reduced their duration, but it reduced the occurrence of spontaneous postsynaptic potentials. Paroxysmal depolarization shifts were blocked by tetrodotoxin (1 microM). The duration and the frequency of paroxysmal depolarization shift were reduced by dopamine (30-300 microM) in a dose-dependent manner. Our model suggests a different involvement of excitatory and inhibitory processes in the generation of epileptiform activity.

Enhancement of basal and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-stimulated dopamine release in the brain of freely moving rats by PTZ-induced kindling

The effects of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced kindling on the activity of mesocortical, mesoaccumbens, and nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons was investigated with the transversal microdialysis technique in freely moving rats. Four days after the last chronic administration of PTZ, the basal extracellular concentrations of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and striatum of kindled rats were significantly increased (+76, +36, +49%, respectively) relative to those of animals chronically treated with saline. Moreover, dopamine output was markedly more sensitive to the effect of a challenge injection of PTZ (20 mg/kg ip) in the prefrontal cortex (+93 vs. +50%, relative to basal values), the nucleus accumbens (+36 vs. +4%), and the striatum (+50 vs. + 35%) of kindled rats relative to that in the control animals. Because kindled rats and their controls are habituated to handling, the neurochemical mechanisms that underlie the effects of chemical kindling on the sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons to PTZ were investigated by comparing the effects of an acute administration of PTZ (20 mg/kg ip) between naive and handling-habituated animals. The sensitivity of dopamine output to PTZ in naive rats was markedly greater than that in handling-habituated animals for the prefrontal cortex (+83 vs. +50%) and nucleus accumbens (+35 vs. +4%), but not for the striatum (+35 vs. +32%). These results indicate that PTZ kindling enhances the basal activity and the sensitivity to PTZ of dopamine neurons in rat brain and suggest that mesocortical, mesoaccumbens, and nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons contribute to the central alterations associated with experimental epilepsy.

NMDA receptor-mediated pilocarpine-induced seizures: characterization in freely moving rats by microdialysis

1. Pilocarpine administration has been used as an animal model for temporal lobe epilepsy since it produces several morphological and synaptic features in common with human complex partial seizures. Little is known about changes in extracellular neurotransmitter concentrations during the seizures provoked by pilocarpine, a non-selective muscarinic agonist. 2. Focally evoked pilocarpine-induced seizures in freely moving rats were provoked by intrahippocampal pilocarpine (10 mM for 40 min at a flow rate of 2 microl min(-1)) administration via a microdialysis probe. Concomitant changes in extracellular hippocampal glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine levels were monitored and simultaneous electrocorticography was performed. The animal model was characterized by intrahippocampal perfusion with the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (20 mM), the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin (1 microM) and the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine maleate, 100 microM). The effectiveness of locally (600 microM) or systemically (10 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) applied lamotrigine against the pilocarpine-induced convulsions was evaluated. 3. Pilocarpine initially decreased extracellular hippocampal glutamate and GABA levels. During the subsequent pilocarpine-induced limbic convulsions extracellular glutamate, GABA and dopamine concentrations in hippocampus were significantly increased. Atropine blocked all changes in extracellular transmitter levels during and after co-administration of pilocarpine. All pilocarpine-induced increases were completely prevented by simultaneous tetrodotoxin perfusion. Intrahippocampal administration of MK-801 and lamotrigine resulted in an elevation of hippocampal dopamine levels and protected the rats from the pilocarpine-induced seizures. Pilocarpine-induced convulsions developed in the rats which received lamotrigine perorally. 4. Pilocarpine-induced seizures are initiated via muscarinic receptors and further mediated via NMDA receptors. Sustained increases in extracellular glutamate levels after pilocarpine perfusion are related to the limbic seizures. These are arguments in favour of earlier described NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity. Hippocampal dopamine release may be functionally important in epileptogenesis and may participate in the anticonvulsant effects of MK-801 and lamotrigine. The pilocarpine-stimulated hippocampal GABA, glutamate and dopamine levels reflect neuronal vesicular release.

Hyperactivity and behavioral seizures in rodents following treatment with the dopamine D1 receptor agonists A-86929 and ABT-431

A-86929 ((-)-trans-9,10-dihydroxy-2-propyl-4,5,5a,6,7,11b-hexahydro-3- thia-5-azacyclopent-1-ena[c]phenanthrene) is a potent and selective full agonist at the dopamine D1 receptor. Both A-86929 and ABT-431 ((-)-trans-9,10-diacetyloxy-2-propyl-4,5,5a,6,7,11b- hexahydro-3-thia-5-azacyclopent-1-ena[c]phenanthrene hydrochloride), the diacetyl prodrug derivative of A-86929, were evaluated for their effects on behavioral excitability in rodents. In rats, A-86929 produced a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity that was attenuated by the selective dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, SCH 23390, as well as by higher doses of the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, haloperidol. Repeated administration of A-86929 over 6 days produced hyperactivity which did not change in magnitude across days. Acute administration of A-86929 and ABT-431 to mice produced behavioral seizure activity, with ED50 values of 7.1 and 2.7 mumol/kg, s.c., respectively, that was blocked by SCH 23390. Young rats (35-37 days) exhibited behavioral seizures following A-86929 and ABT-431 treatment (ED50 = 34.2 and 35.6 mumol/kg, s.c., respectively), but at doses higher than those required in mice. Moreover, adult rats (3 months) were less sensitive (ED50 = 345 mumol/kg, s.c.) to A-86929-induced seizures than young rats. Comparison of the ED50 values that produced behavioral seizure activity in rats with those previously established to produce contralateral rotation (ED50 = 0.24 mumol/kg, s.c.) in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat indicates that a significant dose separation exists between these two properties of A-86929.