Journal article
Diazepam Concurrently Increases the Frequency and Decreases the Amplitude of Transient Dopamine Release Events in the Nucleus Accumbens
The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, v 364(1), pp 145-155
01 Jan 2018
PMID: 29054857
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed anxiolytics that pose abuse liability in susceptible individuals. Although it is well established that all drugs of abuse increase brain dopamine levels, and benzodiazepines are allosteric modulators of the GABA(A) receptor, it remains unclear how they alter dopamine release. Using in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, we measured diazepam-induced changes in the frequency and amplitude of transient dopamine release events. We found that diazepam concurrently increases the frequency and decreases the amplitude of transient dopamine release events in the awake and freely moving rat. The time course during which diazepam altered the frequency and amplitude of dopamine release events diverged, with the decreased amplitude effect being shorter lived than the increase in frequency, but both showing similar rates of onset. We conclude that diazepam increases the frequency of accumbal dopamine release events by disinhibiting dopamine neurons, but also decreases their amplitude. We speculate that the modest abuse liability of benzodiazepines is due to their ability to decrease the amplitude of dopamine release events in addition to increasing their frequency.
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Details
- Title
- Diazepam Concurrently Increases the Frequency and Decreases the Amplitude of Transient Dopamine Release Events in the Nucleus Accumbens
- Creators
- Scott A. Schelp - University of Colorado DenverZachary D. Brodnik - University of Colorado DenverDylan R. Rakowski - University of Colorado DenverKatherine J. Pultorak - University of Colorado DenverAsha T. Sambells - University of Colorado DenverRodrigo A. Espana - University of Colorado DenverErik B. Oleson - University of Colorado Denver
- Publication Details
- The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, v 364(1), pp 145-155
- Publisher
- Amer Soc Pharmacology Experimental Therapeutics
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- R01DA031900; R01DA031900 and R03DA038734 / National Institutes of Health; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA IOS-1557755 / National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) R03DA038734 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); European Commission Boettcher Young Investigator Award NARSAD Young Investigator Award; NARSAD
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Neurobiology and Anatomy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000422708500015
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85039960265
- Other Identifier
- 991019167956504721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Pharmacology & Pharmacy