Expression of fos protein in rat brain following administration of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist epibatidine

Brain Research
K WatanabeY Minabe

Abstract

Epibatidine (exo-2-(6-chloro-3-pyridyl)-7-azabicyclo-[2.2.1]heptane), an extract of frog skin, is a novel and highly potent agonist for the nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor. The present study was undertaken to examine the expression of Fos protein in several rat brain regions following an acute administration of epibatidine. Furthermore, we also studied the role of the dopamine D1 and D2 receptors and the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, and nicotinic ACh receptor in the expression of Fos protein by epibatidine. A single administration of epibatidine (5, 10, 50 microgram/kg) caused a marked induction of Fos-immunoreactivity in the prefrontal cortex, medial striatum, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and superior colliculus of rat brain. In these regions, pretreatment with SCH 23390 (1.0 mg/kg), a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, MK-801 (1.0 mg/kg), a NMDA receptor antagonist, and mecamylamine (5. 0 mg/kg), a nicotinic Ach receptor antagonist, inhibited the induction of Fos protein by epibatidine (10 microgram/kg). Pretreatment with sulpiride, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, blocked the induction of Fos protein in the prefrontal cortex and the core region of accumbens nucleus, but not in the medial striatum and the shell...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Jun 11, 2005·Trends in Pharmacological Sciences·Jerry J BuccafuscoPatrick M Lippiello
Feb 19, 2003·Brain Research. Cognitive Brain Research·Nii A AddyEdward D Levin
Jul 26, 2003·Brain Research. Cognitive Brain Research·Helen May-Simera, Edward D Levin
Dec 14, 2004·European Journal of Pharmacology·Volodia D GueorguievEsther L Sabban
Oct 8, 2004·Brain Research. Molecular Brain Research·Monique R AdamsRobert Scott Bitner

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