Chronic treatment with dizocilpine maleate increases the number of striatal neurons expressing the D2 receptor gene.

N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists have been proposed as potential therapeutic agents in different neurological diseases, including Parkinson's disease. The effects of gene expression of a chronic treatment with the non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, dizocilpine maleate (0.8 mg/kg day, per os for 50 days) were analysed in rat striata. Using quantitative in situ hybridization, we measured the messenger RNA expression of the genes encoding D1, D2 dopamine receptors, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, preproenkephalin A and substance P. Chronic treatment with dizocilpine maleate induced a moderate but significant increase in messenger RNA of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 subunit in the striatum and the adjacent cortex, suggesting an action of dizocilpine maleate in these two regions. This treatment did not induce any change in D1 receptor, preproenkephalin A or substance P messenger RNA content in the striatum, whereas D2 receptor messenger RNA was increased in the striatum of treated rats. Microscopic analysis revealed that it was the number of medium-sized neurons expressing D2 receptor messenger RNA that was significantly enhanced, while the mean amount of message per cell remained unchanged. These results demonstrate that glutamate via N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, regulates the D2 receptor gene in striatal neurons. A chronic treatment with dizocilpine maleate increases the number of striatal neurons expressing the D2 receptor gene, suggesting a recruiting phenomenon.