Differential effects of caffeine on dihydroxyphenylacetic acid concentrations in various rat brain dopaminergic structures.

The behavioural and neurochemical effects of caffeine were examined in rats. The intraperitoneal administration of different doses of caffeine significantly decreased DOPAC concentrations in striatum, hypothalamus and frontal cortex, but increased them in nucleus accumbens. These observations suggest that the effects of caffeine on the central nervous system (cns) are at least partially mediated through an interaction with the dopaminergic system.