Lack of evidence for dopamine autoreceptors in the mediobasal hypothalamus: a microdialysis study in awake rats.

To determine the functional presence of dopamine (DA) autoreceptors on tuberoinfundibular dopamine (TIDA)-ergic neurons in awake rats, a microdialysis probe was implanted into the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH). In the presence of the re-uptake inhibitor nomifensine, which increased DA levels to 350% of basal values, systemic administration of the non-selective D1/D2 antagonist haloperiol induced an immediate increase in DA and DOPAC levels to 145% of pretreatment values. However, neither local infusion of the selective D2 antagonist sulpiride nor of the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 affected the nomifensine-elevated extracellular DA or DOPAC levels in the MBH. Systemic administration of the D2 antagonist raclopride equally did not affect the nomifensine-elevated DA release in the MBH. Upon basal extracellular DA levels (without nomifensine), local infusion of the D2 agonist (-)N-0437 equally did not affect the DA or DOPAC levels in the MBH. Furthermore, the increase in DA levels induced by haloperidol could not be antagonized by the D1 agonist CY 208-243. Therefore, the present study does not provide support for the concept of functional autoreceptors located on TIDA neurons regulating the release of DA. Possibly, the effect of haloperidol was non-DA-ergic in character.