Effects of apomorphine on glutamate decarboxylase activity in chick paleostriatum augmentatum

In young chicks the effects of two different doses of apomorphine, a small dose, producing behavioural and electrocortical sleep and a larger one producing arousal, on GABA content, GAD and GABA-T activities in the paleostriatum augmentatum were studied. The small dose of apomorphine did not affect GABAergic mechanisms in this area, whereas the dose producing behavioural and electrocortical arousal significantly increased GAD activity and GABA content. The results of the present experiments are in favour of an interaction between dopaminergic and GABAergic mechanisms in the avian paleostriatum augmentatum.