Many important physiological and pathological processes are modulated by angiogenesis. It has been shown that initiation of this angiogenic process is an essential early step in the progression of malignant tumors. We report here that ablation of peripheral dopaminergic nerves markedly increased angiogenesis, microvessel density, microvascular permeability, and growth of malignant tumors in mic...

Introduction: Stimulation or inactivation of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) produces antinociception. Studies showed a role for the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the antinociception induced by LH chemical stimulation through the orexinergic receptors. In this study, we assessed the role of intra-VTA dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in antinociceptive effects of cholinergic agonist, carbachol, m...

Antagonism of D2-like dopamine receptors is the putative mechanism underlying the antipsychotic efficacy of psychotropic drugs. Positron emission tomographic studies suggest that the antipsychotic effect of dopamine receptor antagonists occurs within a therapeutic window between 60% and 80% (striatal) D2 receptor occupancy. The incidence of extrapyramidal side effects increases above the 80% th...

Two different 19-mer antisense oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to the initial coding regions of dopamine D2 or D3 receptor mRNA were infused unilaterally into the substantia nigra of rats for 3-6 d to suppress synthesis of D2 and/or D3 receptors on substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons, thereby producing specific reductions of D2 and/or D3 receptors. Autoradiographic receptor binding reveal...

Dopamine is involved in multiple neural functions including motor control, reward and motivational processing, learning and reinforcement, and cognitive attention. Dopamine binds to two distinct classes of receptors, namely D1 and D2, to exert these functions. Various endogenous substances regulate dopamine signaling, although their physiological functions are not fully understood. Here, we exa...

The tight correlation between the clinical potency and the D2R blocking action of antipsychotic medications suggests that dopamine hyperactivity plays a significant role in psychosis. Clozapine, one of the most effective antipsychotic drugs, has been shown to display moderate affinity for various neurotransmitter receptors, including the dopamine D1 and D2 receptors; however, the exact mechanis...

Although all current antipsychotics act by interfering with the action of dopamine at dopamine D2 receptors, two recent reports showed that 800 to 1000 mg of cannabidiol per day alleviated the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia, although cannabidiol is not known to act on dopamine receptors. Because these recent clinical findings may indicate an important exception to the general rule that all...

the mesolimbic dopamine (da) system contains both d1-like and d2-like receptors, has been connected to control of locomotor behavior. an apparent role for d1 and d2 receptors throughout the mesolimbic system in the alteration of locomotor behavior has been demonstrated in pharmacological studies. the nucleus accumbens (nac) is comprised of a core and a shell subregion, which is a component of t...

The mechanisms underlying the effects of psychostimulants in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not well understood, but indirect evidence implicates D2 dopamine receptors. Here we dissect the components of dopaminergic neurotransmission in the hyperactive mouse mutant coloboma to identify pre- and postsynaptic elements essential for the effects of amphetamine in these mice. Am...

Altered synaptic dopamine levels have been implicated in several neurological/neuropsychiatric disorders, including drug addiction and schizophrenia. However, it is unclear what precipitates these changes in synaptic dopamine levels. One of the key presynaptic components involved in regulating dopaminergic tone is the dopamine transporter (DAT). Here, we report that the DAT is also regulated by...