Inhibition of [3H]dopamine and [3H]serotonin uptake by cocaine: comparison between chopped tissue slices and synaptosomes.

Cocaine inhibits both [3H]dopamine and [3H]serotonin uptake in rat striatum and nucleus accumbens. In a chopped tissue slice preparation, the inhibition curve for [3H]dopamine uptake is biphasic, suggesting two components of uptake, whereas the curve for [3H]serotonin uptake is steep and apparently monophasic. In synaptosomal preparations, both curves are monophasic. Monensin, a sodium ionophore, inhibits uptake but does not change the shape of the cocaine inhibition curve in synaptosomes, suggesting that the biphasic inhibition curves in slices are not likely due to differential sodium gradients across the slices. In tissue slices, only the component which is more sensitive to inhibition by cocaine and related drugs is inhibitable by nicotine. This suggests that the two components of dopamine uptake in tissue slices may be differentially regulated.