Characterization of a folate-induced hypermotility response after bilateral injection into the rat nucleus accumbens

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6619052

Stephens, Jr, R L

The objective of these studies was to pharmacologically characterize the mechanism responsible for a folate-induced stimulation of locomotor activity in rats after bilateral injection into the nucleus accumbens region of the brain. Folic acid (FA) and 5-formyltetrahydrofolic acid (FTHF) produced this hypermotility response after intra-accumbens injection, while other reduced folic acid derivatives dihydrofolic acid, tetrahydrofolic acid, and 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid were ineffective. Studies were designed to determine the role of catecholamines in the nucleus accumbens in the folate-induced hypermotility response. The findings suggest that the folate-induced response is dependent on intact neuronal dopamine stores, and is mediated by stimulation of dopamine receptors of the nucleus accumbens. However the folates do not appear to enhance dopaminergic neutransmission. Thus, FA and FTHF were inefficient at 1 mM concentrations in stimulating /sup 3/H-dopamine release from /sup 3/H-dopamine preloaded nucleus accumbens slices or dopamine from endogenous stores. Pteroic acid, the chemical precursor of folic acid which lacks the glutamate moiety, was ineffective in producing a stimulation of locomotor activity after intra-accumbens injection. Since glutamate is an excitatory amino acid (EAA), compounds characterized as EAA receptor antagonists were utilized to determine if the folate-induced hypermotility response is mediated by activation of EAA receptors in the nucleus accumbens. These results suggest that activation of quisqualate receptors of the nucleus accumbens may mediate the folate-induced hypermotility response.

• Research Organization: Ohio State Univ., Columbus (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6619052
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINES
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
AZAARENES
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
BRAIN
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CARDIOTONICS
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CHEMICAL ACTIVATION
CHEMISTRY
DOPAMINE
DRUGS
FOLIC ACID
HEMATINICS
HEMATOLOGIC AGENTS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NEUROREGULATORS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PHENOLS
POLYPHENOLS
PROTEINS
PTERIDINES
RATS
RECEPTORS
RODENTS
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES
VITAMIN B GROUP
VITAMINS