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The neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors α4* and α6* differentially modulate dopamine release in mouse striatal slices
Author(s) -
Meyer Erin L.,
Yoshikami Doju,
McIntosh J. Michael
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05266.x
Subject(s) - neuroscience , dopamine , acetylcholine , stimulation , population , nicotinic agonist , chemistry , acetylcholine receptor , neurotransmitter , tonic (physiology) , electrophysiology , receptor , biology , pharmacology , central nervous system , biochemistry , medicine , environmental health
Striatal dopamine (DA) plays a major role in the regulation of motor coordination and in the processing of salient information. We used voltammetry to monitor DA‐release evoked by electrical stimulation in striatal slices, where interneurons continuously release acetylcholine. Use of the α6‐selective antagonist α‐conotoxin MII[E11A] and α4 knockout mice enabled identification of two populations of DA‐ergic fibers. The first population had a low action potential threshold, and action potential‐evoked DA‐release from these fibers was modulated by α6. The second population had a higher action potential threshold, and only α4(non‐α6) modulated action potential‐evoked DA‐release. Striatal DA‐ergic neurons fire in both tonic and phasic patterns. When stimuli were applied in a train to mimic phasic firing, more DA‐release was observed in α4 knockout versus wild‐type mice. Furthermore, block of α4(non‐α6), but not of α6, increased DA release evoked by a train. These results indicate that there are different classes of striatal DA‐ergic fibers that express different subtypes of nicotinic receptors.