The Role of peripheral mechanisms on DA enhancement in the rodent brain

Authors

Christian Carr, Brigham Young University
Scott Steffensen, Brigham Young University

Keywords

peripheral mechanisms, DA enhancement, rodent brain

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Dopamine is an important brain neurotransmitter regarding brain disorders such as substance abuse, Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) are inhibited by DA via DA D2 autoreceptor (D2R) activation (Adell and Artigas, 2005). D2R expression in the brain is a well-known biomarker for brain DA levels, drug abuse, and dependence. Many previous studies have demonstrated that D2R expression is directly proportional to DA levels in the brain. Thus, D2Rs are highly responsive to brain levels. This provides an aid in diagnosing these illnesses. Recently, it has been found that D2R expression is not only detectable in the brain but is also expressed in the peripheral tissues (e.g. blood), where DA appears to play a pivotal role in mediating communication between the nervous and immune systems (Basu and Dasgupta, 2000).

Recommended Citation

Carr, Christian and Steffensen, Scott (2017) "The Role of peripheral mechanisms on DA enhancement in the rodent brain," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2017: Iss. 1, Article 83.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2017/iss1/83