The present experiments investigated the effects of different antidepressant treatments on dopamine (DA) transmission by employing in vivo microdialysis in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and the striatum of freely moving rats. The treatments were: a) the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine (DMI), b) the novel antidepressant drug bupropion, and c) electrically induced seizures (ECS). The following results were obtained: 1) Neither acute (5 mg/kg), nor chronic (5 mg/kg, b.i.d. X 21) DMI influenced basal interstitial concentrations of DA in the NAC or the striatum. Chronic DMI did not influence apomorphine (25 μg/kg, s.c.)-induced decreases in extracellular DA in the NAC. In contrast, d-amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg, s.c.)-induced increases in extracellular DA were significantly enhanced in the NAC (not in striatum) of the chronic DMI group. d-Amphetamine-induced hypermotility was also enhanced in the chronic DMI group. 2) Bupropion (10, 25 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) increased extracellular striatal DA concentrations in a dose-, time-, and action potential-dependent manner. Bupropion produced similar responses in the NAC. The in vivo neurochemical effects of bupropion were compared with the effects of other DA uptake inhibitors such as d-amphetamine, GBR 12909, cocaine, nomifensine, methylphenidate, and benztropine by direct administration of the drugs to the striatum via the perfusion fluid in increasing concentrations (1 to 1000 μM). The rank order of potency of these drugs as determined by the increases in extracellular DA produced by 10 or 100 μM (following correction for dialysis efficiency of the test compounds in vitro) was: GBR 12909> benztropine> amphetamine= nomifensine= methylphenidate> cocaine> bupropion. Simultaneous in vivo microdialysis in the NAC and striatum was employed to investigate the effects of chronic (10 mg/kg, b.i.d. X 21) bupropion treatment on bupropion (25 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced increases in extracellular DA concentrations. The effect of the challenge bupropion injection was significantly enhanced in the NAC (not in striatum) of the chronic bupropion group. Bupropion-induced hyperlocomotion was also enhanced in the chronic bupropion group. 3) Following a single ECS (150 V, 0.75 sec) interstitial concentrations of DA in the NAC and striatum increased sharply to 130% and 300%, respectively. The ECS-induced DA increase in the striatum was Ca⁺⁺-sensitive, partially TTX-independent, and was not influenced by barbiturate-induced anaesthesia. Seizure activity induced by flurothyl did not influence dialysate DA concentrations from the striatum, but increased dialysate DA from the NAC to 150%. These results suggest that the ECS-induced DA release in the striatum (not in the NAC) is related to the passage of current and not to the seizure activity. A course of ECS (8 treatments, one every second day) did not influence basal extracellular DA concentrations in the striatum or the NAC, while it significantly increased the DA metabolites in the striatum. Chronic ECS did not influence apomorphine (25 μg/kg, s.c.)-induced decreases in extracellular DA in the NAC. d-Amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg s.c.)-induced increases in extracellular DA were significantly enhanced in the NAC of the chronic ECS group. d-Amphetamine-induced hypermotility was also enhanced in the chronic ECS group. These results provide in vivo neurochemical confirmation that chronically administered DMI or ECS do not produce DA autoreceptor subsensitivity. They also demonstrate that chronic DMI- or chronic ECS-induced increases in the locomotor stimulant effects of d-amphetamine are accompanied by a potentiation of its effects on interstitial DA concentrations in the NAC. Moreover, these results demonstrate that chronic bupropion-induced behavioral sensitization is accompanied by a selective potentiation of its effects on interstitial DA concentrations in the NAC. Taken together, the present data provide direct neurochemical evidence that these antidepressant treatments can increase the functional output of the meso-accumbens dopaminergic system. / Medicine, Faculty of / Graduate