Although in vivo evidence indicates that salsolinol, the condensation product of acetaldehyde and dopamine, has properties that may contribute to alcohol abuse, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. We have reported previously that salsolinol stimulates dopamine neurons in the posterior ventral tegmental area (p-VTA) partly by reducing inhibitory GABAergic transmission, and ...

Dopamine D(2) receptor partial agonist antipsychotic drugs can modulate dopaminergic neurotransmission as functional agonists or functional antagonists. The effects of antipsychotics on presynaptic dopaminergic functions, such as dopamine synthesis capacity, might also be related to their therapeutic efficacy. Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to examine the effects of the partial ago...

The nervous systems affect immune functions by releasing neurohormones and neurotransmitters. A neurotransmitter dopamine signals via five different seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors termed D1 to D5. The secondary lymphoid tissues are highly innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers that store dopamine at high contents. Lymphocytes also produce dopamine. In this study, we examined ex...

Multivalent ligands are promising pharmacological tools that may be more efficacious for several diseases than highly selective single-target drugs. A combined therapy using dopaminergic agonists and adenosinergic antagonists is currently being evaluated for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. [(a) Kanda, T.; et al. Exp. Neurol. 2000, 162, 321-327. (b) Jenner, P. Expert Opin. Invest. Drugs 20...

Methylphenidate (MPH) is commonly prescribed for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is similar to cocaine in that it inhibits the dopamine transporter to elevate extracellular dopamine levels and has reinforcing effects. As ADHD diagnoses have increased, MPH abuse has increased as well. There is evidence that DA antagonists such as Clozapine may be effective in mitigating cocai...

Horizontal cells of the carp retina were separated from other retinal cell types by using enzymatic dissociation and velocity sedimentation at unit gravity. Fractions containing horizontal cells were tested for their ability to accumulate cyclic AMP in the presence of various putative neurotransmitters. Micromolar concentrations of dopamine, when added in the presence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxant...

The effects of cholinergic agonists and antagonists on electrical coupling between horizontal cells were studied in dark-adapted mudpuppy retinas. Carbachol and the nicotinic agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP) uncoupled horizontal cells, but the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine did not. The uncoupling effects of carbachol and DMPP were blocked by the nicotinic antagonist D-tubocura...

It was not until the late 1950’s that dopamine was recognised as a neurotransmitter in its own right when the demonstration of its non-uniform distribution in the brain suggested a specific functional role for dopamine. Interest in dopamine was intensified by the realisation that dopamine had an important role in the pathogenesis or drug treatment of certain brain History diseases e.g. Parkinso...

Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder that affects almost 1% of the human population. Although the etiology and fundamental pathological processes associated with schizophrenia remain unclear, abnormalities of the dopamine and glutamate systems have been implicated in their occurrence. The putative role of dopamine in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia has been studied ...

Cocaine is a powerful reinforcer and stimulant that binds to specific recognition sites associated with monoamine transporters in the mammalian brain. The search for a functional antagonist to the addictive properties of cocaine has focused on the discovery of a molecule that can inhibit cocaine binding to the dopamine transporter (DAT) but continue to allow dopamine transport by the DAT. No su...