The Long-term Effects of Repeated Amphetamine Treatment in Vivo on Amphetamine, KCl and Electrical Stimulation Evoked Striatal Dopamine Release in Vitro

Exposure to amphetamine (AMPH) in vivo produces an enduring enhancement ('sensitization') in AMPH-stimulated striatal DA release in vitro. Experiments were conducted to determine whether striatal DA release evoked by neuronal depolarization is altered by AMPH pretreatment in a similar manner. It was found that AMPH pretreatment produced a long-lasting (at least one week) enhancement in striatal DA release evoked by AMPH, KCl or electrical field stimulation. In contrast, the basal rate of DA efflux was not altered by pretreatment condition. A mechanism by which a single change in the intracellular distribution of DA could enhance both AMPH- and depolarization-induced DA release is proposed.