Search results for "DOPAMINERGIC"
showing 10 items of 200 documents
THE EFFECTS OF AGING ON DOPAMINERGIC NEUROTRANSMISSION A microPET STUDY OF [11C]-raclopride BINDING IN THE AGED RODENT BRAIN
2010
Rodent models are frequently used in aging re search to investigate biochemical age effects and aid in the development of therapies for pathological and non pathological age related degenerative processes In order to validate the use of animal models in aging research and pave the way for longitudinal intervention based animal studies, the consistency of cerebral aging processes across species needs to be evaluated The dopaminergic system seems particularly susceptible to the aging process, and one of the most consistent findings in human brain aging research is a decline in striatal D2-like receptor (D2R) availability, quantifiable by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging In this stud…
Behavioural and neurotoxic long-lasting effects of MDMA plus cocaine in adolescent mice
2008
The poly-drug pattern is the most common among MDMA users, with cocaine being a frequently associated drug. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the behavioural and neurotoxic long-term effects of exposure during adolescence to MDMA alone or plus cocaine. Mice of 28 to 30 days of age received a treatment of two daily injections of an identical dose of MDMA (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg), alone or plus cocaine (25 mg/kg), for 3 days (6 administrations). Three weeks after receiving MDMA, an increase in the time dedicated by the animals to social contacts with their conspecifics was observed, whilst their behaviour in the elevated plus maze showed no differences from that of non-treated mice. Afte…
Enantioselective syntheses of dopaminergic (R)- and (S)-benzyltetrahydroisoquinolines.
2001
Optically pure (1S,R)- and (1R,S)-benzyltetrahydroisoquinolines (BTHIQs), 12a,b as the major diastereomers, were prepared by stereoselective reduction of the isoquinolinium salt possessing (R)- and (S)-phenylglycinol as the chiral auxiliary, respectively. The absolute configurations of (1S,R)-13a hydrochloride (O-debenzoylated derivative from 12a) and (1R,S)-12b diastereomers were unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Reductive removal of the chiral auxiliary group, subsequent N-propylation, and cleavage of the methylenedioxy group furnished the optically active catecholamines (1S)-16a and (1R)-16b in good overall yield. We have separately prepared for the first time pa…
Selective dopaminergic lesions of the ventral tegmental area impair preference for sucrose but not for male sexual pheromones in female mice
2006
The role of the meso-accumbens dopaminergic pathway in reward-related behaviours is the subject of intense investigation. In this regard, here we analyse the effects of specific lesions of dopaminergic cells of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of female mice on two goal-directed behaviours, namely sucrose preference (intake of sucrose solution vs. water) and preference for male sexual pheromones (exploration of male-soiled vs. clean bedding). The results indicate that partial lesions of the VTA that impair neither locomotion nor general exploratory behaviour reduce the preference for sucrose (over a 48-h period) but do not alter the innate attraction that females display for male sexual phe…
Ascorbic acid antagonizes ethanol-induced locomotor activity in the open-field.
1999
Abstract It has been reported that ascorbic acid (AA) antagonizes the physiological and behavioral effects of dopamine (DA). AA reduces locomotor activity induced by dopaminergic agonist drugs. Also, AA amplifies the action of antidopaminergic drugs. Ethanol, like other drugs, produces a release of DA in the mesolimbic pathway, and at some doses, induces locomotor activity in mice. The ethanol-induced locomotor activity could be dopamine-dependent because it can be reduced by antidopaminergic drugs. In the present study, we investigated whether an acute administration of AA reduces ethanol-induced locomotor behavior. AA, at doses (0.0, 21.85, 87.5, 175, 350, and 1400 mg/kg) was injected IP …
Characterization of a population of tyrosine hydroxylase-containing interneurons in the external plexiform layer of the rat olfactory bulb
2012
The olfactory bulb (OB) of mammals contains the major endogenous dopamine-producing system in the forebrain. The vast majority of dopaminergic neurons consists of juxtaglomerular cells, which innervate the olfactory glomeruli and modulate the entrance of sensory information to the OB. Although dopaminergic juxtaglomerular cells have been widely investigated, the presence of dopaminergic interneurons other than juxtaglomerular cells has been largely unexplored. In this study, we analyze a population of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-containing interneurons located in the external plexiform layer (EPL) of the rat OB. These interneurons are GABAergic and morphologically heterogeneous. They have an …
Lunasin-induced behavioural effects in mice: Focus on the dopaminergic system
2013
The present study for the first time is devoted to identify central effects of synthetic lunasin, a 43 amino acid peptide. A markedly expressed neuroleptic/cataleptic effect was observed at low (0.1-10 nmol/mouse) centrally administered doses in male C57Bl/6 mice. Lunasin considerably reduced the amphetamine hyperlocomotion but weakly apomorphine climbing behaviour. No influence on ketamine and bicuculline effects was observed. Binding assay studies demonstrated modest affinity of lunasin for the dopamine D₁ receptor (Ki=60 ± 15 μM). In a functional assay of cAMP accumulation on live cells lunasin antagonised apomorphine effect on D₁ receptor activation (pEC₅₀=6.1 ± 0.3), but had no effect …
Sex differences in escape-avoidance response in mice after acute administration of raclopride, clozapine, and SCH 23390.
1998
Sex differences in the effects of haloperidol in the escape-avoidance response in mice have previously been found in various studies carried out in our laboratory. Males were more affected than females by the disruptive effects of this neuroleptic. The work described herein extended the study of these sex differences to raclopride, clozapine, and SCH 23390, using several doses of each drug in acute administration. The results showed dose-dependent sex differences in the deteriorating effects of these dopamine antagonists in the escape-avoidance response. Male mice were more affected by the inhibitory effects of these drugs, showing fewer escape responses and more nonresponses than females. …
Effects of sulpiride on the orienting movement evoked By acoustic stimulation in the Rat.
2000
Abstract Drugs that selectively block D 2 receptors are known to provoke a rapid cell firing increase followed by A9 and A10 dopaminergic (DA) neuron inactivation (depolarization block). In this study, possible relationships between cell firing rapid increase and specific behavioral effects, linked to sensorimotor integration, were investigated in the rat. To this purpose, with the aid of a video camera apparatus and a frame-by-frame analysis, effects of sulpiride-induced blockade of DA D 2 receptors were analyzed on the orienting movement of the head induced by acoustic stimulation. In a control group of rats, during trials lasting 20 min, latency and duration of head turning (HT) were 186…
Role of dopamine neurotransmission in the long-term effects of repeated social defeat on the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine
2016
Numerous studies report that social defeat stress alters dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in several areas of the brain. Alterations of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway are believed to be responsible for the increased vulnerability to drug use observed as a result of social stress. In the present study, we evaluated the influence of DA receptors on the long-term effect of repeated social defeat (RSD) on the conditioned rewarding and reinstating effects of cocaine. For this purpose, the D1R antagonist SCH 23390 and the D1R antagonist raclopride were administered 30 min before each social defeat and a cocaine-induced CPP procedure was initiated three weeks later. The expression of the D1R a…