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Nicotine releases stereoselectively and Ca2(+)-dependently endogenous 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine from rat striatal
Y Misu1, Y Goshima, S Nakamura
1Department of Pharmacology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan.
Abstract:
In superfused slices of rat striatum, nicotine-evoked release of endogenous 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) was studied in comparison with that of dopamine (DA). (+/-)-Nicotine (0.1-10 microM) constantly and repetitively released DOPA and DA over a similar time course in a concentration-dependent manner. The ratio of DOPA and DA evoked was approximately 1:2-3. The turnover rate of DOPA was about 300 times higher compared to DA. (+/-)-Nicotine (10 microM)-induced DOPA release was mecamylamine (20 microM)-sensitive, Ca2(+)-dependent and tetrodotoxin (0.3 microM)-insensitive. The (+)-isomer induced no DOPA release. These characteristics of DOPA release were almost the same as those of DA. Nicotine evokes endogenous DOPA via nicotinic cholinergic receptors in a manner similar to the transmitter DA. These findings further support a probable role of DOPA as a neuroactive substance in the rat central nervous system.