Dopamine and GABA outflow is modulated by ATP-sensitive potassium channels in the rat caudate nucleus

ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels couple the bioenergetic metabolism of the cell to membrane excitability. They have been identified in the rat caudate nucleus and the substantia nigra with an essential role in the modulation of neurotransmitter release. In the caudate nucleus, the dopaminergic input from the substantia nigra is modulated by presynaptic inhibitory GABAergic interneurons via GABA(A) receptors. In this study, we investigate the dopamine (DA)-GABA two-neuron model at different glucose concentrations. Therefore slices of the rat caudate nucleus were incubated in superfusion chambers and conc…