Activation of accumbal and striatal dopamine autoreceptors by some ergoline derivatives.

The ability of several ergolines to stimulate terminal dopamine autoreceptors of the nucleus accumbens and corpus striatum was assessed in an in vivo biochemical model. All ergolines and apomorphine reduced the increase in dopamine synthesis associated with the gamma-butyrolactone-induced blockade of impulse flow in central dopaminergic neurones. Dopamine autoreceptors of the nucleus accumbens may display differential sensitivity to ergolines relative to the corpus striatum.