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Regulation of dopamine neurons in ventral tegmental area on sleep-wakefulness

Wang Zhi, Lin Yinli

Department of Physiology, Shanghai Second Medical University. Shanghai 200025

Abstract

The effects of microinjection of #gamma#-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin (5-HT) into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) on the activity of dopamine neurons in VTA and sleep-wakefulness were studied in rats. It was observed that in aneasthetized rats microinjection of GABA (25 #mu#g) and 5-HT (2 #mu#g) respectively decreased or incrased the level of 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) to 68.2% (P<0.01) and to 136.1% (P<0.01) of control value in the nucleus accumbens (Acb). It was also observed that in free moving rats the time of wakefulness was respectively decreased and increased by the two drugs. Furthermore, the time of wakefulness was enhanced following microinjection of dopamine (10 #mu#g) into Acb, an effect that could be blocked by haloperidal (16 pmol), but not by SCH23390 (2 nmol).

Key words: #gamma#-aminobutyric acid;Serotonin;Ventral tegmental area;Nucleus accumbens;Sleepwakefulness;3, 4 -dihydroxyphenylacetic acid

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Citing This Article：

Wang Zhi, Lin Yinli. Regulation of dopamine neurons in ventral tegmental area on sleep-wakefulness. Acta Physiol Sin 1997; 49 (2): (in Chinese with English abstract).