Muscimol suppresses rCGU increase in the substantia nigra after destruction of the caudate nucleus.

Injection of ibotenic acid into the caudate nucleus caused an increase in the uptake of 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) in the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr). Increased 2DG uptake was completely suppressed by chronic infusion of muscimol, the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist. While delayed shorter infusion of muscimol from the 3rd to the 7th day, when 2DG accumulation was the most prominent, partially prevented this increase. These data suggest that GABA-mediated transneuronal processes play an important role in the delayed elevation in 2DG uptake in SNR but hyperexcitation due to disinhibition by the loss of GABAergic inputs may play only a partial role in this increase.