Blockade of excitatory neurotransmission in the globus pallidus induces rigidity and akinesia in the rat: implications for excitatory neurotransmission in pathogenesis of Parkinson's diseases.

Bilateral microinjections of the selective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, (-)-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoate (AP7), 0.02-0.5 nmol, into the globus pallidus and ventral-posterior portions of the caudate-putamen result in an increase in the muscle tone (rigidity) and catalepsy (akinesia) in rats. NMDA blocked the actions of AP7 on motility in sensitive regions of the globus pallidus and caudate-putamen. Topographical differences in the action of AP7 in the striatum were detected in the dorsal-ventral and rostral-caudal direction. Microinjections of AP7 into the nucleus accumbens induced neither an increase in the muscle tone nor catalepsy in rats, while ventral regions of the caudate-putamen were sensitive to both actions of AP7. Microinjections of AP7 into the dorsal caudate-putamen resulted in a moderate or no increase in the muscle tone. AP7 failed to induce catalepsy from dorsal regions of the caudate-putamen. These data identify the globus pallidus and a defined subregion of the caudate-putamen as crucial sites where excitatory neurotransmission acts to regulate the final set-point of the respective output neurons providing modulation of the passage of motor information through the basal ganglia.