Differential effect of MK 801 and scopolamine on c-fos expression induced by L-dopa in the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats.

In rats with a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the dopaminergic nigro-striatal pathway, striatal D1-receptor-stimulated c-fos expression and turning behavior are positively modulated by D2 receptor stimulation and by blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or muscarinic receptors. Combined D1/D2 receptor stimulation by L-dopa activates c-fos in a manner not additive with muscarinic receptor blockade by scopolamine. On the other hand, blockade of NMDA receptors by MK 801 reduced c-fos expression induced by L-dopa while, depending on the dose of L-dopa, differentially affecting contralateral turning behavior. The results are interpreted to suggest that D2 receptor stimulation amplifies D1-receptor-mediated c-fos expression by two mechanisms differentially related to muscarinic and NMDA receptors.