The effects of dopamine and dopamine receptor agonists on the phototransduction cascade of frog rods

PURPOSE: Accumulating evidence suggests that dopamine, the major catecholamine in the vertebrate retina, may modulate cAMP-mediated signaling in photoreceptors to optimize vision in the light/dark cycle. The main putative mechanism of dopamine-induced adaptation changes in photoreceptors is activation of D(2)-like receptors (D(2)R), which leads to a decrease of the intracellular cAMP level and reduction of protein kinase A (PKA) activity. However, the mechanisms by which dopamine exerts its regulating effect on the phototransduction cascade remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of dopamine and dopamine receptor agonists on rod photoresponses. METHODS: The experiments were performed on solitary rods of the Rana ridibunda frog. Photoreceptor currents were recorded using a suction pipette technique. The effects of dopamine (0.1–50 µM) and selective dopamine receptor agonists—D(1)R agonist SKF-38393 (0.1–50 µM), D(2)R agonist quinpirole (2.5–50 µM), and D(1)–D(2) receptor heterodimer agonist SKF-83959 (50 µM)—were examined. RESULTS: We found that, when applied to the rod inner segments (RISs), dopamine and dopamine receptor agonists had no effect on photoresponses. In contrast, the rods responded to dopamine and all agonists applied to their outer segments by decreasing sensitivity to light. At the highest tested concentration (50 µM), the most prominent effect on light sensitivity was induced by D(1)R agonist SKF-38393, while dopamine, D(2)R agonist quinpirole, and D(1)–D(2) receptor heterodimer agonist SKF-83959 produced somewhat lower and approximately equal effects. Moreover, SKF-38393 reduced sensitivity at all tested concentrations starting from the smallest one (0.1 µM), whereas dopamine and quinpirole started their action from the higher concentrations of 2.5 µM and 50 µM, respectively. In addition, dopamine, SKF-38393, and quinpirole, on average, did not change the intracellular calcium level as judged from the “exchange current”, while SKF-83959 increased it by ~1.3 times. CONCLUSIONS: Dopamine induces a decrease in rod sensitivity, mostly by reducing the activation rate of the cascade, and to a much lesser extent, speeding up the turning off of the cascade. The sign of the reaction to all tested drugs, lack of selectivity of dopamine and dopamine receptor agonist action, and analysis of factors that determine sensitivity of photoreceptors suggest that, in rod outer segments (ROSs), dopamine action is mediated by D(1)–D(2) receptor heterodimers but not D(1)R or D(2)R alone. This work supports the assumption made earlier by other authors that dopamine exercises its regulatory effect via at least two independent mechanisms, which are cAMP and Ca(2+) mediated.