Dopamine neurotransmission has been a key player in attempts to identify genetic factors involved in alcohol dependence. The dopamine transporter terminates dopaminergic neurotransmission, making the gene encoding the transporter (SLC6A3/DAT1) an attractive candidate in clinical studies on alcohol dependence. We conducted a systematic review of 18 studies examining associations between polymorp...

This review addresses the relationship between modifications in membrane phospholipid composition (MPC) and alterations in dopaminergic, serotonergic and cholinergic neurotransmitter systems in schizophrenia. The main evidence in support of the MPC hypothesis of schizophrenia comes from post-mortem and platelet studies, which show that in schizophrenia, certain omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturat...

BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by alterations in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Genetic polymorphisms involved in dopaminergic neurotransmission may influence susceptibility to PD. METHODS We investigated the relationship of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), monoamine oxidase B (MAOB), dopamine receptor (DR) D2 and DRD4 polymorphisms and PD risk with special attentio...

Accumulating evidence from clinical and preclinical studies shows that catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a significant role in dopamine metabolism in the prefrontal cortex, but not in the striatum. However, to what extent dopamine overflow in the prefrontal cortex and striatum is controlled by enzymatic degradation versus reuptake is unknown. We used COMT deficient mice to investigate t...

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood psychiatric condition that is effectively treated by catecholaminergic drugs with a variety of different mechanisms and the SH rat is frequently used as a model of this disorder. In vivo microdialysis in freely-moving rats has been employed extensively to provide a better understanding of the pharmacodynamics of drugs at thei...

Differences in the composition and subcellular localization of heteroreceptors brain can trigger central nervous system diseases, including epilepsy autism. Protein-protein interactions between Dopamine Receptors (DRs) GLUN2A GLUN2B subunits are critical mechanisms that regulate dopamine glutamate coordinated signals. These may be involved pathophysiological predisposition epilepsy. We hypothes...

The neuronal dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a key role in terminating dopaminergic chemical neurotransmission; thus, the study of the regulation of DAT activity is important in defining parameters relevant to the control of dopaminergic neurotransmission. Interpretation of the results from previous work of this laboratory suggests that occupation of presynaptic autoreceptors increases DAT act...

CONTEXT Placebo and nocebo effects, the therapeutic and adverse effects, respectively, of inert substances or sham procedures, represent serious confounds in the evaluation of therapeutic interventions. They are also an example of cognitive processes, particularly expectations, capable of influencing physiology. OBJECTIVE To examine the contribution of 2 different neurotransmitters, the endog...

INTRODUCTION Despite the importance of dopamine neurotransmission in schizophrenia, very few studies have addressed anomalies in the mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA). Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme for the production of dopamine, and a possible contributor to the anomalies in the dopaminergic neurotransmission obse...

In the present study the neuronal expression of Fos, the protein product of c-fos, was used to study changes in neuronal activity in nerve terminal regions of the ascending dopaminergic system during nicotine withdrawal. Rats were infused for 14 days with nicotine (9 mg/kg/day nicotine hydrogen tartrate) via minipumps, whereas control animals carried empty pumps. Withdrawal was induced by the n...