Nigral actions of GABA agonists are enhanced by chronic fluphenazine and differentiated by concomitant flurazepam

Unilateral intranigral administration of baclofen (50-200 ng), muscimol (2.5--20 ng), or THIP (50--400 ng) in the rat led to contralateral circling behavior of a qualitatively similar nature. The potency of all three GABA-mimetics was enhanced in animals which had received the depot neuroleptic fluphenazine decanoate (10 mg/kg SC) 7 days prior to their intranigral administration. Significant differences between the nigral actions of the drugs could be demonstrated by their altered activity in the presence of a benzodiazepine. Flurazepam (500 ng) enhanced the intranigral potency of THIP, but reduced that of intranigral baclofen. Muscimol-induced circling behavior was unaffected by concomitant flurazepam. The data provide evidence for a functional supersensitivity of GABA-sensitive nondopaminergic projections from the substantia nigra in response to chronic neuroleptic treatment and reveal differences between the precise sites or modes of action of baclofen, muscimol, and THIP within this structure.