Interactions of buprenorphine and selective dopamine receptor antagonists in the rat nucleus accumbens

1. Extracellular recording of spontaneously active nucleus accumbens neurons was employed to characterize interactions of the mixed opioid buprenorphine and selective dopamine receptor antagonists. 2. Buprenorphine caused depression of single-unit activity at all doses tested but evoked facilitation only at low doses. 3. In experiments with the D-1 antagonist SCH 23390, buprenorphine-induced depression was consistently blocked, but facilitation was unaffected. 4. Conversely, the D-2 antagonist eticlopride blocked buprenorphine-induced facilitation, though it was ineffective against depression. (C) 1998 elsevier Science Inc.