Abstract

The glutamate analogue kainic acid was injected into the hippocampus of intact or 6-hydroxydopamine deafferented rats to investigate the influence of hippocampal neurons on the expression of dopamine D 1 and D 2 receptor mRNAs in subregions of the striatal complex and possible modulation by dopaminergic neurons. Quantitative in situ hybridization using 35S-labeled oligonucleotide probes specific for dopamine D 1 and D 2 receptor mRNAs, respectively, were used. It was found that an injection of kainic acid into the hippocampal formation had alone no significant effect on dopamine D 1 or D 2 receptor mRNA levels in any of the analyzed striatal subregions in animals analyzed 4 h after the injections. Kainic acid stimulation in the hippocampus ipsilateral to the dopamine lesion produced an increase in D 1 receptor mRNA levels in the ipsilateral medial caudate-putamen, and a bilateral increase in core and shell of nucleus accumbens (ventral striatal limbic regions). A unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion alone caused an increase in D 2 receptor mRNA in the lateral caudate-putamen (dorsal striatal motor region) ipsilateral to the lesion and an increase in D 1 receptor mRNA in the accumbens core ipsilateral to the lesion. However, in dopamine-lesioned animals, dopamine D 1 receptor mRNA levels were increased bilaterally in nucleus accumbens core and shell and in the ipsilateral medial caudate-putamen following kainic acid stimulation in the hippocampus ipsilateral to the dopamine lesion. These results indicate a differential regulation of the expression of dopamine D 1 and D 2 receptor mRNAs by midbrain and hippocampal neurons. Dopamine D 1 receptor mRNA levels are affected in ventral striatal limbic regions and regulated by a mechanism probably involving both glutamate and dopamine transmission. It appears that hippocampal and dopamine neurons interact in regulating dopamine D 1 receptor mRNA levels in the ventral striatum. In contrast, dopamine D 2 receptor mRNA levels are mainly affected in dorsal striatal motor regions, and only by dopamine deafferentation.

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