A partial lesion of the substantia nigra pars compacta and retrorubral field decreases the harmaline-induced glutamate release in the rat cerebellum

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of a partial lesion of both the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) and retrorubral field (RRF) on the glutamatergic transmission in the cerebellum and tremor induced by harmaline in rats. 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 8μg/2μl) was injected unilaterally into the region of the posterior part of the SNC and RRF. Harmaline was administered in a dose of 30mg/kg ip on the 8th day after the operation and the extracellular level of glutamate was measured by microdialysis in vivo in the cerebellar vermis.Harmaline induced glutamate release in the cerebellum. The lesion which encompassed 23–37% neurons in the anterior SNC, 52–54% in the posterior SNC and 47–55% in the RRF did not influence the basal extracellular glutamate level but decreased the harmaline-induced release of this neurotransmitter. Tremor evoked by harmaline was also visibly inhibited by the above lesion. The results of the present study seem to indicate that midbrain dopaminergic neurons influence glutamatergic transmission in the cerebellum which may be important for generation of the tremor induced by harmaline.