Interactions of the subthalamic nucleus and the subpallidal area in oro-facial dyskinesia: role of GABA and glutamate.

Previous studies have shown that lowering the GABAergic activity in the sub-pallidal area (SP) in the cat results in the display of oro-facial dyskinesia (OFD). There exists an intense, mutual anatomical connection between the SP and the subthalamic nucleus and the adjoining lateral hypothalamic area (STH). The present study investigated whether the STH is also involved in OFD. Once this turned out to be true (see below), it was investigated whether the SP-specific OFD is funneled via the STH, or vice versa. Bilateral injections of low doses (50-250 ng) of picrotoxin, a non-competitive GABA antagonist, into the STH were found to elicit OFD. This effect which was quantified in terms of numbers of tongue protrusions, was dose-dependent: a bell-shaped dose-response was found (50-500 ng). The OFD elicited by the most effective dose of picrotoxin (250 ng) was significantly antagonized by muscimol, a specific GABAA agonist, in a dose (50 ng) which itself was ineffective, indicating GABA specificity. In addition, it was found that OFD elicited by local injections of picrotoxin (250 ng) into the STH was significantly attenuated by SP injections of the broad spectrum glutamate antagonist kynurenic acid in a dose (1000 ng) which itself was ineffective, but not by muscimol (100 ng), indicating that the STH-elicited OFD needs an intact and functioning glutaminergic, but not GABAergic, transmission process in the SP for its expression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)