In Vivo Microdialysis Technique Applications to Understand the Contribution of Receptor–Receptor Interactions to the Central Nervous System Signaling

During the last 50 years, microdialysis technique has been continuously improved to become a well-established method to monitor local concentrations of neurotransmitters. In respect to other currently used techniques, such as voltammetry, microdialysis has the advantage to be possibly applied to all measurable neurotransmitters and to allow local treatments. These properties render the technique a suitable approach to investigate, in vivo, the neurochemical consequences of receptor–receptor interactions, thus providing functional correlates to binding and other biochemical data. This chapter is mainly focused on a general description of microdialysis technique in freely moving animals and on the application of one- or dual-probe(s) microdialysis to investigate the functional relevance of receptor–receptor interactions in rodent brain.