Work

Substance P inhibits GABAB receptor signalling in the ventral tegmental area

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: Substance P (SP) and its receptors are involved in anxiety-related behaviours and regulate the intake of drugs of abuse and alcohol. Within the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), a region that is clearly involved in the control of these behaviours, SP is released by stress and has been shown to trigger relapse. SP activates neurokinin (NK) receptors, which excites midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons and leads to increased DA in target regions. In this study, we have investigated the mechanisms underlying SP actions in the VTA, specifically investigating interactions between SP and GABA(B) receptors. We show that in VTA neurons, NK receptor activation closes an inwardly rectifying potassium channel, and moreover inhibits GABA(B) receptor-mediated transmission through an interaction that depends upon phospholipase C (PLC), intracellular calcium and protein kinase C (PKC).

Source: The Journal of Physiology

DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.188367

Authors: Yan‐Fang Xia, Elyssa B. Margolis, Gregory O. Hjelmstad

Institutions: University of California, San Francisco, Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center

Language: English

Topic: Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research, University of California, San Francisco