Fig. 5.
Activation of Gq/11-coupled D1–D2 dopamine receptor complexes increases CaMKIIα levels in the nucleus accumbens. (a) Injection of animals with SKF83959 and quinpirole increased the number of CaMKIIα-immunolabeled cells and the intensity of labeling per cell compared with saline-injected controls (d). (b) SKF83959 caused a small increase in immunolabel intensity but no change in the number of CaMKIIα-positive neurons. (c) Quinpirole gave results similar to those in b. (e and f) Pretreatment with SCH23390 or raclopride prevented the SKF83959- and quinpirole-mediated increase in CaMKIIα. (g) Injections of SKF83822 and quinpirole gave no net changes in CaMKIIα. (h) The NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 slightly reduced the immunolabel intensity of the SKF83959/quinpirole-mediated increase in CaMKIIα but did not affect the increase in the number of CaMKIIα-positive neurons. (i and j) Quantification of data from four independent experiments. Within each experiment, treatments were performed in duplicate, and two or three slices were analyzed from each animal. ∗, P < 0.005; Student's t test compared with saline controls. ac, anterior commissure.