Addition of the aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor, NSD-1015 (10 
microM), to Krebs'-Ringer phosphate (KRP) superfusion medium, significantly 
increased the release of dopamine in vitro from superfused corpus striatum 
tissue fragments of male rats. A dose-dependent increase in release of dopamine 
was obtained in response to increasing concentrations of NSD-1015, with 1.0 
microM being the minimally effective dose. In addition to the striatum, NSD-1015 
also increased the release of dopamine from superfused hypothalamic tissue 
fragments. This capacity of NSD-1015 to increase release of dopamine was 
calcium-independent, appeared to be somewhat specific and could apparently 
increase the release of dopamine in vivo, as indicated by increases in the 
release of the metabolite of dopamine, DOPAC, under conditions of push-pull 
perfusion. Although the putative role of NSD-1015 is as an aromatic amino acid 
decarboxylase inhibitor, the present results demonstrate that, either as a 
result of this function and/or in addition to this role, NSD-1015 is a potent 
activator of the release of dopamine.