Modulation by group I mGLU receptor activation and group III mGLU receptor blockade of locomotor responses induced by D1-like and D2-like receptor agonists in the nucleus accumbens

Evidence for functional motor interactions between group I and group III metabotropic glutamatergic (mGlu) receptors and dopamine neurotransmission is now clearly established [David, H.N., Abraini, J.H., 2001a. The group I metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist S-4-CPG modulates the locomotor response produced by the activation of D1-like, but not D2-like, dopamine receptors in the rat nucleus accumbens. Eur. J. Neurosci. 15, 2157–2164, David, H.N., Abraini, J.H., 2002. Group III metabotropic glutamate receptors and D1-like and D2-like dopamine receptors interact in the rat nucleus accumbens to influence locomotor activity. Eur. J. Neurosci. 15, 869–875]. Nevertheless, whether or not and how, activation of group I and blockade of group III mGlu receptors modulate the motor responses induced by the activation of dopaminergic receptors in the NAcc still remains unknown. Answering this question needs to be assessed since functional interactions between neurotransmitters in the NAcc are well known to depend upon the level of activation of glutamatergic and/or dopaminergic receptors and because the effects of glutamatergic receptor agonists and antagonists on dopaminergic receptor-mediated locomotor responses are not always reciprocal as shown in previous studies. Our results show that activation of group I mGlu receptors by DHPG in the NAcc potentiated the locomotor response induced by intra-NAcc activation of D1-like receptors and blocked those induced by D2-like presynaptic or postsynaptic receptors. Alternatively, blockade of group III mGlu receptors by MPPG in the NAcc potentiated the locomotor responses mediated by D1-like receptors and by D2-like postsynaptic receptors and inhibited that induced by D2-like presynaptic receptors. These results compiled with previous data demonstrate that group I mGlu receptors and group III mGlu receptors can modulate the locomotor responses produced by D1-like and/or D2-like receptor agonists in a complex phasic and tonic fashion.