Altered Dopamine Receptor and Dopamine Transporter Binding and Tyrosine Hydroxylase mRNA Expression Following Perinatal NMDA Receptor Blockade

This study examined how perinatal phencyclidine (PCP) treatment would affect dopamine D 2 receptor and dopamine transporter (DAT) binding at different stages after treatment cessation. Female rat pups received injections of PCP (10 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline on postnatal day (PN)7, 9 and 11. D 2 receptor and transporter binding was examined at four time-points (PN12, 18, 32 and 96) following injections. PCP treatment altered D 2 receptor binding throughout development, with a final end-point of 22–33% decreased binding at adulthood in the nucleus accumbens and caudate putamen ( P