Cortico-subcortical neuromodulation involved in the amelioration of prepulse inhibition deficits in dopamine transporter knockout mice

AgRP neurons control structure and function of the medial prefrontal cortex

Hypothalamic agouti-related peptide and neuropeptide Y-expressing (AgRP) neurons have a critical role in both feeding and non-feeding behaviors of newborn, adolescent, and adult mice, suggesting their broad modulatory impact on brain functions. Here we show that constitutive impairment of AgRP neurons or their peripubertal chemogenetic inhibition resulted in both a numerical and functional reduction of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of mice. These changes were accompanied by alteration of oscillatory network activity in mPFC, impaired sensorimotor gating, and altered ambulatory behavior that could be reversed by the administration of clozapine, a non-selective dopamine receptor antagonist. The observed AgRP effects are transduced to mPFC in part via dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area and may also be conveyed by medial thalamic neurons. Our results unmasked a previously unsuspected role for hypothalamic AgRP neurons in control of neuronal pathways that regulate higher-order brain functions during development and in adulthood.

A New Paradigm for Training Hyperactive Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats: Influence of Novel Stimuli on Object Recognition

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is believed to be connected with a high level of hyperactivity caused by alterations of the control of dopaminergic transmission in the brain. The strain of hyperdopaminergic dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) rats represents an optimal model for investigating ADHD-related pathological mechanisms. The goal of this work was to study the influence of the overactivated dopamine system in the brain on a motor cognitive task fulfillment. The DAT-KO rats were trained to learn an object recognition task and store it in long-term memory. We found that DAT-KO rats can learn to move an object and retrieve food from the rewarded familiar objects and not to move the non-rewarded novel objects. However, we observed that the time of task performance and the distances traveled were significantly increased in DAT-KO rats in comparison with wild-type controls. Both groups of rats explored the novel objects longer than the familiar cubes. However, unlike controls, DAT-KO rats explored novel objects significantly longer and with fewer errors, since they preferred not to move the non-rewarded novel objects. After a 3 months' interval that followed the training period, they were able to retain the learned skills in memory and to efficiently retrieve them. The data obtained indicate that DAT-KO rats have a deficiency in learning the cognitive task, but their hyperactivity does not prevent the ability to learn a non-spatial cognitive task under the presentation of novel stimuli. The longer exploration of novel objects during training may ensure persistent learning of the task paradigm. These findings may serve as a base for developing new ADHD learning paradigms.

Pronounced Hyperactivity, Cognitive Dysfunctions, and BDNF Dysregulation in Dopamine Transporter Knock-out Rats

Dopamine (DA) controls many vital physiological functions and is critically involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The major function of the plasma membrane dopamine transporter (DAT) is the rapid uptake of released DA into presynaptic nerve terminals leading to control of both the extracellular levels of DA and the intracellular stores of DA. Here, we present a newly developed strain of rats in which the gene encoding DAT knockout Rats (DAT-KO) has been disrupted by using zinc finger nuclease technology. Male and female DAT-KO rats develop normally but weigh less than heterozygote and wild-type rats and demonstrate pronounced spontaneous locomotor hyperactivity. While striatal extracellular DA lifetime and concentrations are significantly increased, the total tissue content of DA is markedly decreased demonstrating the key role of DAT in the control of DA neurotransmission. Hyperactivity of DAT-KO rats can be counteracted by amphetamine, methylphenidate, the partial Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonist RO5203648 ((S)-4-(3,4-Dichloro-phenyl)-4,5-dihydro-oxazol-2-ylamine) and haloperidol. DAT-KO rats also demonstrate a deficit in working memory and sensorimotor gating tests, less propensity to develop obsessive behaviors and show strong dysregulation in frontostriatal BDNF function. DAT-KO rats could provide a novel translational model for human diseases involving aberrant DA function and/or mutations affecting DAT or related regulatory mechanisms.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here, we present a newly developed strain of rats in which the gene encoding the dopamine transporter (DAT) has been disrupted (Dopamine Transporter Knockout rats [DAT-KO rats]). DAT-KO rats display functional hyperdopaminergia accompanied by pronounced spontaneous locomotor hyperactivity. Hyperactivity of DAT-KO rats can be counteracted by amphetamine, methylphenidate, and a few other compounds exerting inhibitory action on dopamine-dependent hyperactivity. DAT-KO rats also demonstrate cognitive deficits in working memory and sensorimotor gating tests, less propensity to develop compulsive behaviors, and strong dysregulation in frontostriatal BDNF function. These observations highlight the key role of DAT in the control of brain dopaminergic transmission. DAT-KO rats could provide a novel translational model for human diseases involving aberrant dopamine functions.

Attentional deficits and altered neuronal activation in medial prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices in mice with reduced dopamine transporter levels

The executive control function of attention is regulated by the dopaminergic (DA) system. Dopamine transporter (DAT) likely plays a role in controlling the influence of DA on cognitive processes. We examined the effects of DAT depletion on cognitive processes related to attention. Mice with the DAT gene genetically deleted (DAT+/- heterozygotes) were compared to wild type (WT) mice on the Attentional Set-Shifting Task (ASST). Changes in neuronal activity during the ASST were shown with early growth response genes 1 and 2 (egr-1 and egr-2) immunohistochemistry in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC). Heterozygotes were impaired in tasks that tax reversal learning, attentional-set formation and set-shifting. Densities of egr-2 labeled cells in the mPFC were lower in mutant mice when compared with wild-types in intradimensional shift of attention (IDS), extradimensional shift of attention and extradimensional shift of attention-reversal phases of the ASST task, and in PPC in the IDS phase of the task. The results demonstrate impairments of the areas associated with attentional functions in DAT+/- mice and show that an imbalance of the dopaminergic system has an impact on the complex attention-related executive functions.

Research Domain Criteria versus DSM V: How does this debate affect attempts to model corticostriatal dysfunction in animals?

For decades, the nosology of mental illness has been based largely upon the descriptions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM). A recent challenge to the DSM approach to psychiatric nosology from the National Institute on Mental Health (USA) defines Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) as an alternative. For RDoC, psychiatric illnesses are not defined as discrete categories, but instead as specific behavioral dysfunctions irrespective of DSM diagnostic categories. This approach was driven by two primary weaknesses noted in the DSM: (1) the same symptoms occur in very different disease states; and (2) DSM criteria lack grounding in the underlying biological causes of mental illness. RDoC intends to ground psychiatric nosology in those underlying mechanisms. This review addresses the suitability of RDoC vs. DSM from the view of modeling mental illness in animals. A consideration of all types of psychiatric dysfunction is beyond the scope of this review, which will focus on models of conditions associated with frontostriatal dysfunction.

Negative affective states and cognitive impairments in nicotine dependence

Smokers have substantial individual differences in quit success in response to current treatments for nicotine dependence. This observation may suggest that different underlying motivations for continued tobacco use across individuals and nicotine cessation may require different treatments in different individuals. Although most animal models of nicotine dependence emphasize the positive reinforcing effects of nicotine as the major motivational force behind nicotine use, smokers generally report that other consequences of nicotine use, including the ability of nicotine to alleviate negative affective states or cognitive impairments, as reasons for continued smoking. These states could result from nicotine withdrawal, but also may be associated with premorbid differences in affective and/or cognitive function. Effects of nicotine on cognition and affect may alleviate these impairments regardless of their premorbid or postmorbid origin (e.g., before or after the development of nicotine dependence). The ability of nicotine to alleviate these symptoms would thus negatively reinforce behavior, and thus maintain subsequent nicotine use, contributing to the initiation of smoking, the progression to dependence and relapse during quit attempts. The human and animal studies reviewed here support the idea that self-medication for pre-morbid and withdrawal-induced impairments may be more important factors in nicotine addiction and relapse than has been previously appreciated in preclinical research into nicotine dependence. Given the diverse beneficial effects of nicotine under these conditions, individuals might smoke for quite different reasons. This review suggests that inter-individual differences in the diverse effects of nicotine associated with self-medication and negative reinforcement are an important consideration in studies attempting to understand the causes of nicotine addiction, as well as in the development of effective, individualized nicotine cessation treatments.

Neural circuits containing olfactory neurons are involved in the prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex in rats

Many neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, have been associated with olfactory dysfunction and abnormalities in the prepulse inhibition (PPI) response to a startle reflex. However, whether these two abnormalities could be related is unclear. The present investigations were designed to determine whether theblockage of olfactory sensory input by zinc sulfate infusion in the olfactory naris (0.5 ml, 0.17 M, ZnE) can disturb the PPI response. Furthermore, a bilateral microinjection of lidocaine/MK801 in the olfactory bulb (OB) was administered to examine whether the blockage of olfactory sensory input could impair the PPI response. To identify the neural projection between olfaction and PPI-related areas, trans-synaptic retrograde tracing with the recombinant pseudorabies virus (PRV) was used. Our results demonstrated that blockage of olfactory sensory input could disturb olfactory behavior. In the function studies, we demonstrated that blockage of olfactory sensory input could impair the pre-pulse inhibition of the startle response following decreased c-Fos expression in relevant brain regions during the PPI responses. Furthermore, similar and more robust findings indicated that blockage of olfactory sensory input by microinjection of lidocaine/MK801 in the OB could impair the PPI response. In the circuit-level studies, we demonstrated that trans-synaptic retrograde tracing with PRV exhibited a large portion of labeled neurons in several regions of the olfactory cortices from the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg). Thus, these data suggest that the olfactory system participates in the PPI regulating fields and plays a role in the pre-pulse inhibition of the startle response in rats.

Neuronal activity of the prefrontal cortex is reduced in rats selectively bred for deficient sensorimotor gating

Rats selectively bred for deficient prepulse inhibition (PPI), an operant measure of sensorimotor gating in which a weak prepulse stimulus attenuates the response to a subsequent startling stimulus, may be used to study certain pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders with abnormalities in information processing, such as schizophrenia and Tourette's syndrome (TS). Little is known about neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the nucleus accumbens (NAC), which are involved in the modulation of PPI. Here, we examined neuronal activity in these structures, and also in the entopeduncular nucleus (EPN), since lesions of this region alleviate the PPI deficit. Male rats with breeding-induced high and low expression of PPI (n=7, each) were anesthetized with urethane (1.4 mg/kg). Single-unit activity and local field potentials were recorded in the mPFC, the NAC and in the EPN. In the mPFC discharge rate, measures of irregularity and burst activity were significantly reduced in PPI low compared to PPI high rats (P<0.05), while analysis in the NAC showed approximately inverse behavior. In the EPN no difference between groups was found. Additionally, the oscillatory theta band activity (4-8 Hz) was enhanced and the beta band (13-30 Hz) and gamma band (30-100 Hz) activity was reduced in the NAC in PPI low rats. Reduced neuronal activity in the mPFC and enhanced activity in the NAC of PPI low rats, together with altered oscillatory behavior are clearly associated with reduced PPI. PPI low rats may thus be used to study the pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders accompanied by deficient sensorimotor gating.

Serotonin/dopamine interactions in a hyperactive mouse: reduced serotonin receptor 1B activity reverses effects of dopamine transporter knockout

Knockout (KO) mice that lack the dopamine transporter (SL6A3; DAT) display increased locomotion that can be attenuated, under some circumstances, by administration of drugs that normally produce psychostimulant-like effects, such as amphetamine and methylphenidate. These results have led to suggestions that DAT KO mice may model features of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and that these drugs may act upon serotonin (5-HT) systems to produce these unusual locomotor decreasing effects. Evidence from patterns of brain expression and initial pharmacologic studies led us to use genetic and pharmacologic approaches to examine the influence of altered 5-HT_1B receptor activity on hyperactivity in DAT KO mice. Heterozygous 5-HT_1B KO and pharmacologic 5-HT_1B antagonism both attenuated locomotor hyperactivity in DAT KO mice. Furthermore, DAT KO mice with reduced, but not eliminated, 5-HT_1B receptor expression regained cocaine-stimulated locomotion, which was absent in DAT KO mice with normal levels of 5-HT_1B receptor expression. Further experiments demonstrated that the degree of habituation to the testing apparatus determined whether cocaine had no effect on locomotion in DAT KO or reduced locomotion, helping to resolve differences among prior reports. These findings of complementation of the locomotor effects of DAT KO by reducing 5-HT_1B receptor activity underscore roles for interactions between specific 5-HT receptors and dopamine (DA) systems in basal and cocaine-stimulated locomotion and support evaluation of 5-HT_1B antagonists as potential, non-stimulant ADHD therapeutics.

Reduced dopamine transporter functioning induces high-reward risk-preference consistent with bipolar disorder

Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) exhibit deleterious decision making, negatively impacting their lives. Such aberrant decision making can be quantified using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which requires choosing between advantageous and disadvantageous options based on different reward/punishment schedules. The mechanisms underlying this behavioral deficit are unknown, but may include the reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) functioning reported in BD patients. Using both human and mouse IGTs, we tested whether reduced DAT functioning would recreate patterns of deficient decision making of BD patients. We assessed the IGT performance of 16 BD subjects (7 female) and 17 healthy control (HC) subjects (12 female). We recorded standard IGT performance measures and novel post-reward and post-punishment decision-making strategies. We characterized a novel single-session mouse IGT using C57BL/6J mice (n = 44). The BD and HC IGT performances were compared with the effects of chronic (genetic knockdown (KD; n = 31) and wild-type (n = 28) mice) and acute (C57BL/6J mice (n = 89) treated with the DAT inhibitor GBR12909) reductions of DAT functioning in mice performing this novel IGT. BD patients exhibited impaired decision making compared with HC subjects. Both the good-performing DAT KD and GBR12909-treated mice exhibited poor decision making in the mouse IGT. The deficit of each population was driven by high-reward sensitivity. The single-session mouse IGT measures dynamic risk-based decision making similar to humans. Chronic and acute reductions of DAT functioning in mice impaired decision-making consistent with poor IGT performance of BD patients. Hyperdopaminergia caused by reduced DAT may impact poor decision making in BD patients, which should be confirmed in future studies.

The effects of atomoxetine and methylphenidate on the prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response in mice

Atomoxetine (ATM) and methylphenidate (MPD) have been used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ATM is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, whereas MPD is a psychostimulant and acts as a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor. In the present study, we investigated the effects of ATM (1, 3 or 10mg/kg) and MPD (5, 10 or 20mg/kg) on pharmacological mouse models of sensorimotor gating measured by prepulse inhibition (PPI) using the acoustic startle response test. MK-801, a non-competitive N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist, or apomorphine, a non-competitive dopamine receptor agonist, was used to induce PPI deficits. ATM (3 or 10mg/kg, s.c.) significantly attenuated the MK-801-, but not apomorphine-, induced PPI deficits. In contrast to ATM, MPD did not reverse the PPI deficits induced by either MK-801 or apomorphine. Immunostaining revealed that the number of c-Fos-immunopositive cells was increased in the nucleus accumbens following MK-801 treatment, and this was reversed by the administration of ATM (3mg/kg), but not MPD (10mg/kg). However, neither ATM nor MPD reversed the increased number of c-Fos-immunopositive cells in the nucleus accumbens following apomorphine treatment. These results suggest that the attenuating effect of ATM on the increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens induced by MK-801 may be attributed to the PPI deficit-ameliorating effects of ATM and that ATM would be useful to treat sensorimotor gating-related disorders by improving the patient's attention span or cognitive function.

Gene-sex interactions in schizophrenia: focus on dopamine neurotransmission

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder, with a highly complex and heterogenous clinical presentation. Our current perspectives posit that the pathogenic mechanisms of this illness lie in complex arrays of gene × environment interactions. Furthermore, several findings indicate that males have a higher susceptibility for schizophrenia, with earlier age of onset and overall poorer clinical prognosis. Based on these premises, several authors have recently begun exploring the possibility that the greater schizophrenia vulnerability in males may reflect specific gene × sex (G×S) interactions. Our knowledge on such G×S interactions in schizophrenia is still rudimentary; nevertheless, the bulk of preclinical evidence suggests that the molecular mechanisms for such interactions are likely contributed by the neurobiological effects of sex steroids on dopamine (DA) neurotransmission. Accordingly, several recent studies suggest a gender-specific association of certain DAergic genes with schizophrenia. These G×S interactions have been particularly documented for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase (MAO), the main enzymes catalyzing DA metabolism. In the present review, we will outline the current evidence on the interactions of DA-related genes and sex-related factors, and discuss the potential molecular substrates that may mediate their cooperative actions in schizophrenia pathogenesis.

Implications of genome wide association studies for addiction: are our a priori assumptions all wrong?

Substantial genetic contributions to addiction vulnerability are supported by data from twin studies, linkage studies, candidate gene association studies and, more recently, Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Parallel to this work, animal studies have attempted to identify the genes that may contribute to responses to addictive drugs and addiction liability, initially focusing upon genes for the targets of the major drugs of abuse. These studies identified genes/proteins that affect responses to drugs of abuse; however, this does not necessarily mean that variation in these genes contributes to the genetic component of addiction liability. One of the major problems with initial linkage and candidate gene studies was an a priori focus on the genes thought to be involved in addiction based upon the known contributions of those proteins to drug actions, making the identification of novel genes unlikely. The GWAS approach is systematic and agnostic to such a priori assumptions. From the numerous GWAS now completed several conclusions may be drawn: (1) addiction is highly polygenic; each allelic variant contributing in a small, additive fashion to addiction vulnerability; (2) unexpected, compared to our a priori assumptions, classes of genes are most important in explaining addiction vulnerability; (3) although substantial genetic heterogeneity exists, there is substantial convergence of GWAS signals on particular genes. This review traces the history of this research; from initial transgenic mouse models based upon candidate gene and linkage studies, through the progression of GWAS for addiction and nicotine cessation, to the current human and transgenic mouse studies post-GWAS.

Impaired cliff avoidance reaction in dopamine transporter knockout mice

RATIONALE

Impulsivity is a key feature of disorders that include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The cliff avoidance reaction (CAR) assesses maladaptive impulsive rodent behavior. Dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) mice display features of ADHD and are candidates in which to test other impulsive phenotypes.

OBJECTIVES

Impulsivity of DAT-KO mice was assessed in the CAR paradigm. For comparison, attentional deficits were also assessed in prepulse inhibition (PPI) in which DAT-KO mice have been shown to exhibit impaired sensorimotor gating.

RESULTS

DAT-KO mice exhibited a profound CAR impairment compared to wild-type (WT) mice. As expected, DAT-KO mice showed PPI deficits compared to WT mice. Furthermore, the DAT-KO mice with the most impaired CAR exhibited the most severe PPI deficits. Treatment with methylphenidate or nisoxetine ameliorated CAR impairments in DAT-KO mice.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that DAT-KO mice exhibit impulsive CAR behavior that correlates with their PPI deficits. Blockade of monoamine transporters, especially the norepinephrine transporter (NET) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), may contribute to pharmacological improvement of impulsivity in these mice.

Transgenic mouse models for ADHD

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity that adversely affect many aspects of life. Whereas the etiology of ADHD remains unknown, growing evidence indicates a genetic involvement in the development of this disorder. The brain circuits associated with ADHD are rich in monoamines, which are involved in the mechanism of action of psychostimulants and other medications used to treat this disorder. Dopamine (DA) is believed to play a major role in ADHD but other neurotransmitters are certainly also involved. Genetically modified mice have become an indispensable tool used to analyze the contribution of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of human disorders. Although rodent models cannot fully recapitulate complex human psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, transgenic mice offer an opportunity to directly investigate in vivo the specific roles of novel candidate genes identified in ADHD patients. Several knock-out and transgenic mouse models have been proposed as ADHD models, mostly based on targeting genes involved in DA transmission, including the gene encoding the dopamine transporter (DAT1). These mutant models provided an opportunity to evaluate the contribution of dopamine-related processes to brain pathology, to dissect the neuronal circuitry and molecular mechanisms involved in the antihyperkinetic action of psychostimulants and to evaluate novel treatments for ADHD. New transgenic models mouse models targeting other genes have recently been proposed for ADHD. Here, we discuss the recent advances and pitfalls in modeling ADHD endophenotypes in genetically altered animals.

Altered reward circuitry in the norepinephrine transporter knockout mouse

Synaptic levels of the monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are modulated by their respective plasma membrane transporters, albeit with a few exceptions. Monoamine transporters remove monoamines from the synaptic cleft and thus influence the degree and duration of signaling. Abnormal concentrations of these neuronal transmitters are implicated in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including addiction, depression, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This work concentrates on the norepinephrine transporter (NET), using a battery of in vivo magnetic resonance imaging techniques and histological correlates to probe the effects of genetic deletion of the norepinephrine transporter on brain metabolism, anatomy and functional connectivity. MRS recorded in the striatum of NET knockout mice indicated a lower concentration of NAA that correlates with histological observations of subtle dysmorphisms in the striatum and internal capsule. As with DAT and SERT knockout mice, we detected minimal structural alterations in NET knockout mice by tensor-based morphometric analysis. In contrast, longitudinal imaging after stereotaxic prefrontal cortical injection of manganese, an established neuronal circuitry tracer, revealed that the reward circuit in the NET knockout mouse is biased toward anterior portions of the brain. This is similar to previous results observed for the dopamine transporter (DAT) knockout mouse, but dissimilar from work with serotonin transporter (SERT) knockout mice where Mn²⁺ tracings extended to more posterior structures than in wildtype animals. These observations correlate with behavioral studies indicating that SERT knockout mice display anxiety-like phenotypes, while NET knockouts and to a lesser extent DAT knockout mice display antidepressant-like phenotypic features. Thus, the mainly anterior activity detected with manganese-enhanced MRI in the DAT and NET knockout mice is likely indicative of more robust connectivity in the frontal portion of the reward circuit of the DAT and NET knockout mice compared to the SERT knockout mice.

Serotonergic involvement in the amelioration of behavioral abnormalities in dopamine transporter knockout mice by nicotine

Dopamine transporter knockout (DAT KO) mice exhibit elevated extracellular dopamine levels in brain regions that include the striatum and the nucleus accumbens, but not the prefrontal cortex. DAT KO mice model some aspects of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Smoking is more common in patients with schizophrenia, suggesting that nicotine might ameliorate aspects of the behavioral abnormalities and/or treatment side effects seen in these individuals. We report nicotine-induced normalization of effects on locomotion and prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (PPI) in DAT KO mice that require intact serotonin 5-HT1A systems. First, we observed that the marked hyperactivity displayed by DAT KO mice was reduced by administration of nicotine. This nicotine effect was blocked by pretreatment with the non-specific nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptor antagonist mecamylamine, or the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY100635. Secondly, we examined the effects of nicotine on PPI in DAT KO mice. Treatment with nicotine significantly ameliorated the PPI deficits observed in DAT KO mice. The ameliorating action of nicotine on PPI deficits in DAT KO mice was blocked by mecamylamine, the α₇ nACh receptor antagonist methyllycaconitine or WAY100635, while the α₄β₂ nACh receptor antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidinehydrobromide (DHβE) produced only a non-significant trend toward attenuation of nicotine effects. Finally, we observed that administration of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT also ameliorated the deficit in PPI observed in DAT KO mice. This amelioration was antagonized by pretreatment with WAY100635. These data support the idea that nicotine might ameliorate some of the cognitive dysfunctions found in schizophrenia in a 5-HT1A-dependent fashion. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Enhancers'.