Symposium 7. Molecular biological approach to behavioral neuroscience16. Motor system1621 Effects of different GABA antagonists and agonists on Paired-pulse inhibition of the transcallosal response of cortical motor neuron

The present investigation assessed the effect of chronic blockade of kainate/quisqualate binding sites with 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) on preproenkephalin (PPE) and preprotachykinin (PPT) mRNA abundance in the neostriatum of the rat brain. Daily injection of CNQX for seven consecutive days decreased PPE mRNA abundance approximately 25% below vehicle-injected controls in dorsolateral, dorsomedial, anterior caudate-putamen (dlCPu, dmCPu and aCPu, respectively) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Similarly, PPT mRNA abundance was significantly decreased in dlCPu, dmCPu and aCPu but not in the accumbens. The data demonstrate that non-NMDA receptor activity modulates basal levels of expression of PPE and PPT mRNAs in the neostriatum of the rat brain.