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Peripherally administered substance P affects extracellular dopamine concentrations in the neostriatum but not in the
1Institute of Physiological Psychology I, University of Düsseldorf, Germany.
Abstract:
The in situ microdialysis technique was used in urethane-anesthetized rats to monitor changes in the extracellular concentrations of dopamine and its metabolites in neostriatum and nucleus accumbens after the peripheral administration of substance P (50 or 250 micrograms/kg, IP). Four to five hours after urethane anesthesia a decrease of extracellular dopamine and its metabolites was observed which continued in the nucleus accumbens in the following 3 h. The administration of substance P induced a decrease in extracellular concentration of dopamine in neostriatum. This neurochemical change after substance P was not accompanied by parallel alterations in extracellular concentrations of dopamine metabolites. No effects of substance P were observed on dopamine or its metabolites in nucleus accumbens. These data are discussed in relation with the contrasting effects of substance P on awake rats and the possible changes in striatal dopamine activity induced by anesthetics.