ABSTRACT-We attemped to characterize the functional roles of subtypes of voltage-sensitive calcium channels in the brain. The maximal number of [125I]w-conotoxin GVIA (w-CTX) binding sites in rat brain associated with N-type calcium channels (N-channels) was approximately 10 times more than that of [3H] PN200-110 associated with L-type calcium channels (L-channels). [3H]dopamine (DA) release from rat striatal slices. The L-channel antagonists had no effect on either Ca 21 influx or [3H]DA release. These results suggest that DA release in the striatum is regulated by Ca 21 influx through N-channels located in presynaptic nerve terminals, and that the most of the Ca 21 influx in rat brain appears to be governed by neomycin-sensitive, w-CTX and DHP-resistant calcium channels.
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