NBQX inhibits AMPA-induced locomotion after injection into the nucleus accumbens

The role of glutamate receptors in locomotor activity was investigated by examining the ability of 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(F)quinoxaline (NBQX), a non-NMDA antagonist, to inhibit the stimulation of locomotion produced by the activation of various excitatory amino acid receptors in the nucleus accumbens. NBQX inhibited the stimulation of locomotor activity produced by intra-accumbens alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) at doses which had no effect on the locomotion produced by kainate or NMDA. Furthermore, this dose of NBQX had no effect on locomotion when injected alone into this brain region. These data suggest that AMPA receptors in the nucleus accumbens may play a very different role in the control of locomotion than NMDA receptors.