Calcium-independent release of [3H]dopamine by veratridine in pargyline- and reserpine-treated corpus striatum.

Veratridine produced a dose-dependent release of cytoplasmic [3H]dopamine in rat corpus striatal slices. Cytoplasmic [3H]dopamine was obtained by pretreating rats with reserpine to inhibit vesicular storage and incubating with pargyline and beta-thujaplicin to inhibit catabolism prior to incubation with [3H]dopamine. Release of [3H]dopamine by veratridine is absolutely calcium-independent and can be abolished by 10(-4) M tetrodotoxin and inhibited by 10(-5) M nomifensine. These results suggest that veratridine can release cytoplasmic [3H]dopamine by a carrier-mediated process.