Phencyclidine suppresses the activity of midbrain dopamine-containing neurons recorded from mouse brain slices in vitro.

Phencyclidine produced a dose-dependent decrease in the activity of dopamine-containing neurons in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area recorded from mouse brain slices in vitro. The suppression of dopamine neuronal activity by phencyclidine was blocked by pretreatment of the animals with alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine or haloperidol. These data are in contrast with previous studies which reported that the activity of many midbrain dopamine neurons is increased by phencyclidine, while others are decreased and yet others showed no change.