Regulation of polysynaptic subthalamonigral transmission by D 2 , D 3 and D 4 dopamine receptors in rat brain slices

Key points •  Symptoms of Parkinson's disease are associated with increased bursting activity in the subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra zona reticulata (SNR). •  In slices of rat brain, a single electrical stimulus to the STN evokes a complex EPSC and bursts of action potentials in SNR neurons. •  We show that dopamine acts at D 2 ‐like receptors to cause marked and reversible inhibition of the complex EPSC. •  Dopamine also inhibited stimulus‐evoked bursts of action potentials more than reducing spontaneous firing. •  Inhibition of synaptically generated burst firing by D 2 receptor agonists may be a clinically important mechanism in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.