The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays an important role in reward and motivational processes that facilitate the development of drug addiction. Glutamatergic inputs into the VTA contribute to dopamine (DA) neuronal activation related to reward and response-initiating effects in drug abuse. Previous investigations indicate that alpha1-adrenoreceptors (α1-AR) are primarily localized at presynaptic elements in the ventral midbrain. Studies from several brain regions have shown that presynaptic α1-AR activation enhance glutamate release. Therefore, we hypothesized that glutamate released onto VTA-DA neurons is modulated by pre-synaptic α1-AR. Recordings were obtained from putative VTA-DA cells of male Sprague-Dawley rats (28–50 days postnatal) using voltage clamp techniques. Phenylephrine (10 µM) and methoxamine (80 µM), both α1-AR agonists, increased AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) amplitude evoked by electrical stimulation of afferent fibers (p<0.05). This effect was blocked by the α1-AR antagonist prazosin (1 µM). Phenylephrine decreased the paired-pulse ratio and increased spontaneous EPSCs frequencies but not their amplitudes suggesting a presynaptic locus of action. No changes in miniature EPSCs (0.5 µM TTX) were observed after phenylephrine’s application which suggest that α1-AR effect was action potential dependent. Normal extra- and intracellular Ca2+ concentration seems necessary for the α1-AR effect since phenylephrine in low Ca2+ ACSF and depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores with thapsigargin (10 µM) failed to increase the AMPA EPSCs amplitude . Chelerythrine (1 µM, PKC inhibitor) but not Rp-cAMPS (11 µM, PKA inhibitor) blocked the α1-AR activation effect on AMPA EPSCs, indicating that a PKC intracellular pathway is required. These results demonstrated that presynaptic α1-ARs activation modulates glutamatergic inputs that affect VTA-DA neurons excitability. α1-ARs action might be heterosynaptically localized at glutamatergic fibers terminating onto VTA-DA neurons. It is suggested that drug-induced changes in α1-AR could be part to the neuroadaptations occurring in the mesocorticolimbic circuitry during the addiction process.

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays an important role in reward and motivational processes involved in drug addiction. Previous studies have shown that alpha1-adrenoreceptors (α1-AR) are primarily found presynaptically at this area. We hypothesized that GABA released onto VTA-dopamine (DA) cells is modulated by presynaptic α1-AR. Recordings were obtained from putative VTA-DA cells of male Sprague-Dawley rats (28–50 days postnatal) using whole-cell voltage clamp technique. Phenylephrine (10µM; α1-AR agonist) decreased the amplitude of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) evoked by electrical stimulation of afferent fibers (n=7; p<0.05). Prazosin (1µM, α1-AR antagonist), blocked this effect. Paired-pulse ratios were increased by phenylephrine application (n=13; p<0.05) indicating a presynaptic site of action. Spontaneous IPSCs frequency but not amplitude, were decreased in the presence of phenylephrine (n=7; p<0.05). However, frequency or amplitude of miniature IPSCs were not changed (n=9; p>0.05). Phenylephrine in low Ca2+ (1mM) medium decreased IPSC amplitude (n=7; p<0.05). Chelerythrine (a protein kinase C inhibitor) blocked the α1-AR action on IPSC amplitude (n=6; p<0.05). Phenylephrine failed to decrease IPSCs amplitude in the presence of paxilline, a BK channel blocker (n=7; p<0.05). Taken together, these results demonstrate that α1-ARs at presynaptic terminals can modulate GABA release onto VTA-DA cells. Drug-induced changes in α1-AR could contribute to the modifications occurring in the VTA during the addiction process.

The progressive augmentation of motor activity that results from repeated cocaine administration is termed behavioral sensitization. This phenomenon is thought to be a critical component in compulsive drug taking and relapse. Still, the cellular mechanisms that underlie sensitization remain elusive. Cocaine abuse, nonetheless, is known to evoke neuroplastic adaptations in dopamine (DA) neurotransmission originating from the midbrain's ventral tegmental area (VTA). Here, we report that concomitant with the development of locomotor sensitization to cocaine the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I(h)) amplitude is depressed by ∼40% in VTA DA cells. Such effect did not result from a negative shift in I(h) voltage dependence. Nonstationary fluctuation analysis indicates that this inhibition was caused by an ∼45% reduction in the number of h-channels with no change in their unitary properties. The cocaine-induced I(h) depression was accompanied by a reduction in cell capacitance of similar magnitude (∼33%), leaving h-current density unaltered. Two implications follow from these data. First, I(h) inhibition may contribute to cocaine addiction by increasing bursting probability in DA cells and this effect could be intensified by the decrease in cell capacitance. Second, the cocaine-induced diminution of DA cell capacitance may also lead to reward tolerance promoting drug-seeking behaviors.