Enhanced dopamine release and phosphorylation of synapsin I and neuromodulin in striatal synaptosomes after repeated amphetamine.

Repeated, intermittent treatment of rats with amphetamine followed by a withdrawal period leads to an enhancement in amphetamine-induced dopamine release. We previously reported an increased stoichiometry of site 3-phospho-synapsin I and increased levels of phospho-Ser41-neuromodulin in striatum after repeated amphetamine. In this study, we examined whether the enhanced amphetamine-induced dopamine release and increased levels of these phosphoproteins would be detected in synaptosomes from rats pretreated and withdrawn from repeated amphetamine. Enhanced amphetamine-induced dopamine release was detected in striatal synaptosomes from rats treated with repeated amphetamine compared with controls. The enhanced dopamine release was Ca++ dependent. State-specific antibodies were used to measure the levels of site 3-phospho-synapsin I, phosphorylated by CaM kinase II, and phospho-Ser41-neuromodulin, phosphorylated by protein kinase C, in incubated striatal S1 fractions and synaptosomes. The levels of site 3-phospho-synapsin I and phospho-Ser41-neuromodulin were increased by 40% and 30%, respectively, in amphetamine-pretreated rats compared with controls. Total neuromodulin and synapsin I was not altered. There was a significant 26% increase in CaM kinase II activity in the synaptosomes from amphetamine-pretreated rats but no change in content. No change in protein kinase C activity or content of the alpha-isozyme was detected after repeated amphetamine. Our results demonstrate that the enhanced amphetamine-induced dopamine release and occurring after repeated amphetamine can be detected in synaptosome preparations. Repeated amphetamine leads to alterations in phosphorylation/dephosphorylation activities that can be detected in the incubated synaptosomes. Because the enhanced amphetamine-induced dopamine release after repeated amphetamine appears to be Ca++ sensitive, it is possible that the altered phosphorylation systems, and perhaps site 3-phospho-synapsin I and phospho-Ser41-neuromodulin, play a role in the enhanced dopamine release.