Kainic acid-induced lesion of dopaminergic target cells in the striatum: consequences on the dynamics of cerebellar cGMP.

The bilateral intrastriatal injection of kainic acid (2 microgram/caudate) caused a marked decrease in the activity of striatal dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase. This probable loss of target cells for dopamine was associated with a parallel decrease of the cGMP level in the cerebellar cortex, which was maximal (80% loss) by 24 h and prevented apomorphine from raising cerebellar cGMP levels. On the contrary harmaline and isoniazid both increased the levels of cerebellar cGMP in kainic-lesioned rats to the same extent as in control rats. The results indicate that dopamine mechanisms in the striatum are involved in the regulation of cerebellar cortex cGMP.