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Studies of various amphetamines, apomorphine and clonidine on body temperature and brain 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism in rats

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Abstract

Amphetamine and various amphetamine derivatives, phenmetrazine, pipradrol, methylphenidate and NCA can increase the concentration of 5-HIAA in the rat brain without changing that of 5-HT. Metamphetamine produced a decrease in 5-HT and no effect on 5-HIAA whereas p-hydroxyamphetamine produced no effects on 5-HT and 5-HIAA. The experiments performed at different environmental temperatures (12–14‡C, 21–22‡C and 21–28‡C) with simultaneous measurements of the body temperature indicate that no simple correlation exists between the drug induced hyperthermia and the effect on 5-HIAA. The amphetamine and phenmetrazine effect on 5-HIAA seems to be related to hyperthermia whereas the pipradrol and methylphenidate effect on 5-HIAA appears independent of hyperthermia. Apomorphine (2×2.5 mg/kg) which activates central dopamine receptors produced a significant increase in 5-HIAA whereas clonidine (0.5 mg/kg) which activates central noradrenaline receptors produced a significant decrease in 5-HIAA.

In conclusion, the effect of various amphetamines on 5-HT metabolism seems very complex in mechanism of action and might be related to hyperthermia, to a direct effect on 5-HT neurons and to the ratio between central dopamine/noradrenaline receptor activation of these drugs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centrallaboratory, Dept. E, Sct. Hans Hospital, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    JØrgen Scheel-Krüger

  2. Institute of Biochemistry, Odense University, DK-5000, Odense, Denmark

    Elisabeth Hasselager

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  1. JØrgen Scheel-Krüger
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  2. Elisabeth Hasselager
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Scheel-Krüger, J., Hasselager, E. Studies of various amphetamines, apomorphine and clonidine on body temperature and brain 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism in rats. Psychopharmacologia 36, 189–202 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421801

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421801

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