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Updated: Oct 15, 2026

Local Application of Drugs to Study Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function in Mouse Brain Slices
Published on: October 29, 2012
Activation by nicotine of striatal neurons receiving excitatory input from the substantia nigra via dopamine release
H Yu1, H Matsubayashi, T Amano
1Department of Pharmacology, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-Ku, 734-8551, Hiroshima, Japan.
Abstract:
An electrophysiological study was performed to elucidate the role of nicotinic receptors in the striatal neurons in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. The effects of microiontophoretic application of nicotine and other drugs were examined on the caudate nucleus (CN) neurons activated monosynaptically by stimulation of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN). Application of nicotine facilitated spontaneous firing. The nicotine-induced firing of the CN neurons was inhibited by concomitant application of domperidone or hexamethonium. These findings suggested that nicotine enhances dopamine release from the SN-derived dopaminergic nerve terminals by activating the neurons via D2 receptors.
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