MK‐801, phencyclidine (PCP), and PCP‐like drugs increase burst firing in rat A10 dopamine neurons: Comparison to competitive NMDA antagonists
Synapse February 1, 1993 Edward D. French, Anna Mura, Ting Wang
PCP and similar drugs (MK-801, TCP) increased the firing rate and burst activity of dopamine neurons in the rat ventral tegmental area, converting nonbursty cells to bursty. These effects were dose-dependent and contrast with BTCP, a PCP derivative with little affinity for the PCP binding site, which inhibited firing and decreased bursting. Competitive NMDA antagonists CGS 19755 and (±)CPP did not alter any measured parameters. The findings suggest that the psychotomimetic properties of PCP-like drugs arise from increased dopamine neuron activity and resultant hyperdopaminergia in mesolimbic-mesocortical regions, and that this effect is not due to loss of activity at the NMDA recognition site.