Motor activation in short- and long-term reserpinized mice: role of N-methyl-D-aspartate, dopamine D₁ and dopamine D₂ receptors

The effects of dopamine D₁ and dopamine D₂ receptor agonists and of subconvulsant doses of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, dizocilpine (MK-801), alone and in combination, on the motor activity of short- and long-term reserpinized mice (mice pretreated with 5 mg/kg reserpine 4 h or 20 h before, respectively) were analyzed. With short-term reserpinization, the dopamine D₂ receptor agonist, quinpirole (1.5 mg/kg), but not the dopamine D₁ receptor agonist, SKF-38393 (15 mg/kg), increased motor activity. The effect of quinpirole in short-term reserpinized mice was potentiated by the simultaneous administration of SKF-38393 (15 mg/kg) and was counteracted by the previous administration of the dopamine D₂ receptor antagonist, raclopride (1 mg/kg), or by the simultaneous administration of NMDA (25 mg/kg) or MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg). Neither NMDA (25-100 mg/kg) nor MK-801 (0.5-3 mg/kg) induced motor activation in short-term reserpinized mice. With long-term reserpinization, either quinpirole (1.5 mg/kg) or SKF-38393 (15 mg/kg) increased motor activity. The effect of quinpirole in long-term reserpinized mice was not potentiated by the concurrent administration of SKF-38393 (15 mg/kg), was inhibited by the simultaneous administration of MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) and was not modified by NMDA (25 mg/kg). The effect of SKF-38393 (15 mg/kg) in long-term reserpinized mice was inhibited by the concomitant administration of MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) and was slightly antagonized by NMDA (25 mg/kg). NMDA induced motor activation in long-term reserpinized mice at doses which were similar to those causing motor activation in non-reserpinized mice (75 and 100 mg/kg), while MK-801 induced motor activation at a dose which was associated with motor depression in non-reserpinized mice (2 mg/kg). The NMDA-induced motor activation in long-term reserpinized mice was counteracted by the previous administration of a low dose of MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) and was still present when a stronger dopamine-depleting pretreatment was used. These results are interpreted on the basis of changes in sensitivity of the direct striatal efferent pathway after long-term reserpinization.