Blockade of NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex increases dopamine and acetylcholine release in the nucleus accumbens and motor activity

Objectives  The present study investigates the effects of injections of a specific N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) antagonist 3-[(R)-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl]-propyl-1-phophonic acid (CPP) into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) on the extracellular concentrations of dopamine and acetylcholine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and on motor activity in the freely moving rat. Materials and methods  Sprague–Dawley male rats were implanted with guide cannulas into the medial PFC and NAc to perform bilateral microinjections and microdialysis experiments. Spontaneous motor activity was monitored in the open field. Results  Injections of CPP (1 μg/0.5 μL) into the PFC produced a significant increase of the baseline extracellular concentrations of dopamine (up to 130%), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC; up to 120%), homovanillic acid (HVA; up to 130%), and acetylcholine (up to 190%) in the NAc as well as motor hyperactivity. In the NAc, perfusion of the NMDA and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) glutamate antagonists CPP (50 μM)+6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX; 50 μM) through the microdialysis probe blocked acetylcholine release, but not DOPAC and HVA increases produced by CPP injections into the PFC. Also, increases in motor activity produced by prefrontal injections of CPP were significantly reduced by bilateral injections into the NAc of a mixed D1/D2 antagonist, flupenthixol (5 and 25 μg/0.5 μL). Injections into the NAc of the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine (1 and 10 μg/0.5 μL) further increased, and of the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine (1 and 10 μg/0.5 μL) did not change, the increases in motor activity produced by prefrontal CPP injections. Conclusions  These results suggest that the dysfunction of NMDA receptors in the PFC could be a key factor in the neurochemical and motor effects associated with corticolimbic hyperactivity.