The gaseous neurotransmitter nitric oxide plays an important role in the modulation of corticostriatal synaptic transmission. This study examined the impact of frontal cortex stimulation on striatal nitric oxide efflux and neuron activity in urethane-anesthetized rats using amperometric microsensor and single-unit extracellular recordings, respectively. Systemic administration of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor 7-nitroindazole decreased spontaneous spike activity without affecting activity evoked by single-pulse stimulation of the ipsilateral cortex. Train (30 Hz) stimulation of the contralateral frontal cortex transiently increased nitric oxide efflux in a robust and reproducible manner. Evoked nitric oxide efflux was attenuated by systemic administration of 7-nitroindazole and the non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Train stimulation of the contralateral cortex, in a manner identical to that used to evoke nitric oxide efflux, had variable effects on spike activity assessed during the train stimulation trial, but induced a short-term depression of cortically evoked activity in the first post-train stimulation trial. Interestingly, 7-nitroindazole potently decreased cortically evoked activity recorded during the train stimulation trial. Moreover, the short-term depression of spike activity induced by train stimulation was enhanced following pretreatment with 7-nitroindazole and attenuated after systemic administration of the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride. These results demonstrate that robust activation of frontal cortical afferents in the intact animal activates a powerful nitric oxide-mediated feed-forward excitation which partially offsets concurrent D2 receptor-mediated short-term inhibitory influences on striatal neuron activity. Thus, nitric oxide signaling is likely to play an important role in the integration of corticostriatal sensorimotor information in striatal networks.

Rationale-It is known that dopamine (DA) D1 receptor activation stimulates striatal nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, whereas D2 receptor activation produces the opposite effect. However, the mechanisms involved in the dopaminergic modulation of NO synthase (NOS) are unknown.Objectives-We hypothesized that the effects of DA on striatal NO signaling are dependent on ongoing glutamatergic activation of NOS. Therefore, the current study examined whether intact NMDA receptor activation is required for the dopaminergic modulation of NOS activity. Methods-We assessed the impact of pharmacological manipulations of D1, D2 and NMDA receptors on NOS activity in the dorsal striatum and motor cortex using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry. Drugs were administered systemically to conscious animals and NADPH-d staining was quantified in these regions using ex vivo measurements of tissue optical density.Results-Administration of the neuronal NOS inhibitor N G -propyl-L-arginine (NPA), the D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390, and the NMDA receptor antagonist 3-phosphonopropylpiperazine-2-carboxylic acid (CPP) all attenuated staining selectively in the striatum. Administration of the D2 receptor agonist quinpirole decreased NADPH-d staining in both the striatum and cortex. Striatal NADPH-d staining elicited by administration of the D1 receptor agonist SKF 81297 or the D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride was attenuated by NPA, SCH 23390, and CPP pretreatment. Quinpirole pretreatment also abolished the facilitatory effect of SKF 81297.Conclusions-These studies show for the first time that ongoing NMDA receptor activation is necessary for modulation of striatal NOS activity by both facilitatory (D1 receptor activation) and inhibitory (D2 receptor activation) dopaminergic signaling mechanisms. Keywords dopamine; nitric oxide; nitric oxide synthase; NMDA receptor; striatum; cortex Nitric oxide (NO) is a key modulator of neuronal activity in the dorsal striatum and is thought to play an important role in complex processes including control of motor function and motivated behavior (Prast and Philippu 2001;West et al. 2002;Del Bel et al. 2005). NO is synthesized within medium-sized aspiny interneurons by type-1/neuronal NO synthase (nNOS). Striatal nNOS expressing interneurons and their processes are readily labeled using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemical staining techniques (Hope et al.