Effects of phencyclidine on the spontaneous activity of monoaminergic neurons

Intravenous phencyclidine (PCP) increased the firing rate of a population of slow firing dopaminergic neurons recorded in the substantia nigra of chloral hydrate anesthetized rats. PCP also significantly reduced the potency of i.v. d-amphetamine to inhibit the firing of dopaminergic neurons. The drug produced little changes in the activity of serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe and consistently inhibited the firing of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus.