The non-peptidic delta opioid receptor agonist TAN-67 enhances dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats via a mechanism that involves both glutamate and free radicals

These results show that both enantiomers of TAN-67 enhance the release of reserpine sensitive, vesicular dopamine and α-methyl-p-tyrosine sensitive, cytosolic dopamine from dopaminergic nerve terminals in the nucleus accumbens in a way that is independent of neural activity; activation of δ opioid receptors plays no role in these events. All together, the results suggest that (−)-TAN-67 can generate a burst of free radicals that in turn trigger a release of glutamate that ultimately via activation of NMDA receptors enhances the release of dopamine from dopaminergic nerve terminals in the nucleus accumbens.