Comparative postnatal development of dopamine D1, D2 and D4 receptors in rat forebrain

Postnatal development of dopamine D-1, D-2 and D-4 receptors in the caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, frontal cortex and hippocampus mas assessed in rat brain between postnatal days 7 and 60. In the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens, density of all three receptor subtypes increased to a peak at postnatal day 28, then declined significantly in both regions (postnatal days 35-60) to adult levels. In the frontal cortex and hippocampus, these receptors rose steadily and continuously to stable, maximal adult levels by postnatal day 60. Evidently, D-1, D-2 and D-4 receptors follow a similar course of development in several cortical, limbic and extrapyramidal regions of rat forebrain, with selective elimination of excess dopamine receptors at the time of puberty in the caudate-putamen and accumbens but not other brain regions. (C) 2000 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.