Effect of γ-butyrolactone on the retrograde axonal transport of neurotensin in dopaminergic neurones

γ-Butyrolactone is a drag known to inhibit the flow of electrical impulses in dopaminergic neurones and to prevent dopamine release in the striatum. In this study, we investigated the effects of this compound on the retrograde transport of neurotensin in the nigrostriatal dopanunergic pathway. The amount of radioactivity measured in the substantia nigra after injection of iodinated neurotensin into the striatum and the time course of its accumulation were not found to be modified in γ-butyrolactone-treated rats. We therefore conclude that the retrograde axonal transport of neurotensin in the nigrostriatal pathu-γ is not affected by reduced dopaminergic firing or by inhibition of the striatal release of dopamine.