The time course of expression of mRNA for NGFI-A and NGFI-B after a single intraperitoneal injection of saline or caffeine was examined using in situ hybridization. Administration of a high dose of caffeine (100 mg/kg) decreased locomotor behavior and increased NGFI-A and NGFI- B mRNA in the entire striatum. A lower dose of caffeine (50 mg/kg) caused a weak enhancement of both messages, which was confined to the lateral part of caudate-putamen. This dose increased horizontal, but not vertical, movement. In rats treated with the lowest dose of caffeine (25 mg/kg), the expression of both investigated genes tended to be lower than for saline-treated rats and both horizontal and vertical locomotor activity increased markedly. The reduction in the number of labeled neurons seemed to occur predominantly in enkephalin- containing neurons, which coexpress adenosine A2A receptors and dopamine D2 receptors. The decrease of mRNA for NGFI-A, NGFI-B, and jun B caused by caffeine (25 mg/kg) could be mimicked by the D2 agonist quinpirole (1 and 3 mg/kg). Moreover, caffeine could significantly decrease the expression seen following treatment with the D2 antagonist raclopride (2 mg/kg). In addition, in the parietal cortex, 25 mg/kg of caffeine caused a significant elevation of both examined immediate early genes. Thus, biphasic changes in locomotion induced by caffeine are paralleled by biphasic changes in mRNA for NGFI-A, NGFI-B, and jun B. The results also provide additional support for a functionally important interaction between adenosine and dopamine D2 receptors.

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Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is the major product of the calcitonin gene in brain and exerts a number of actions in the central nervous system (CNS). In particular the finding that CGRP affects dopamine (DA) release and metabolism has raised the possibility that it may play a role in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Consequently, we have here studied the effects of two psychotomimetic drugs, namely, d-amphetamine (AMPH) and phencyclidine (PCP), on CGRP concentrations in brain microdialysates from freely moving rats. The animals were stereotaxically implanted with vertical concentric probes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the ventral striatum (vSTR), or the hippocampus; and the experiments were performed 48 hr after surgery. The dialysis probes were perfused with a modified Ringer's solution at the rate of 5 microliters/min. AMPH 1.5 mg/kg, PCP 2.5 mg/kg, or NaCl 0.9% were injected s.c.; and the perfusates were collected at 60 min intervals before and after the injections and used for CGRP-like immunoreactivity (-LI) determination by radioimmunoassay (RIA). In separate experiment, KCl (100 mM), veratridine (50 microM), or tetrodotoxin (2 microM), were added to the perfusate and infused in the vSTR. Baseline levels of CGRP-LI were detected in dialysates from all three regions. Both AMPH and PCP caused a significant and sustained increase (maximum about 300%) in CGRP-LI concentrations, in particular from the mPFC and vSTR, while saline had no effect. KCl and veratridine also increased CGRP-LI in dialysates during the first posttreatment period, while tetrodotoxin induced a significant but delayed decrease in CGRP-LI levels. Finally, cervical dislocation also elevated CGRP-LI in dialysates from the mPFC and the vSTR. Our findings demonstrate that 1) CGRP-LI can be measured in vivo in microdialysates from mPFC, vSTR, and hippocampus; 2) the release in vSTR is action potential-dependent; and 3) systemic administration of AMPH or PCP results in a long-lasting release of CGRP-LI in the mPFC and vSTR, thus demonstrating a novel action of these drugs in the brain. Since other studies have shown that major antipsychotic drugs appear to reduce CGRP release in brain, our study provides, in principle, support for a role of CGRP in psychotic disorders.

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