Studies on the role of serotonin receptor subtypes in the effect of sibutramine in various feeding paradigms in rats.

The effect of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and noradrenaline (NA) reuptake inhibitor sibutramine was studied in food deprived, neuropeptide Y (NPY)- or muscimol-injected rats. Sibutramine dose-dependently reduced feeding caused by food-deprivation (ED50 = 5.1+/-0.8 mg kg(-1)) or by NPY injection into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (ED50 = 6.0+/-0.5 mg kg(-1)). The increase in food intake caused by muscimol injected into the dorsal raphe was not modified by sibutramine (1-10 mg kg(-1)). The hypophagic effect of 5.1 mg kg(-1) sibutramine in food-deprived rats was studied in rats pretreated with different serotonin receptor antagonists. Metergoline (non-selective, 0.3 and 1.0 mg kg(-1)), ritanserin (5-HT2A/2C, 0.5 and 1.0 mg kg(-1)) and GR127935 (5-HT1B/1D), 0.5 and 1.0 mg kg(-1)) did not modify the hypophagic effect of sibutramine, while SB206553 (5-HT2B/2C, 5 and 10 mg kg(-1)) slightly but significantly reduced it (Fint(2.53) = 3.4; P<0.05). The reduction in food intake caused by 6.0 mg kg(-1) sibutramine in NPY-injected rats was not modified by GR127935 (1.0 mg kg(-1)). The results suggest that, with the possible exception of a partial involvement of 5-HT2B/2C receptors in sibutramine's hypophagia in food-deprived rats, 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptor subtypes do not play an important role in the hypophagic effect of sibutramine, at least in the first 2 h after injection.     

Evidence of a preferential role of brain serotonin in the mechanisms leading to naloxone-precipitated compulsive jumping in morphine-dependent rats

Various drugs acting on brain serotonin or catecholamines were administered concurrently with morphine during the development of dependence or before naloxoneprecipitated withdrawal syndrome. Of the various drugs only cyproheptadine, a serotonin antagonist, and piribedil, a dopamine agonist, reduced the frequency of jumping (but not of diarrhea or ptosis) when administered with morphine during development of dependence. When administered before naloxone, d-fenfluramine, a serotonin releaser, markedly reduced jumping, but not diarrhea and ptosis, and clonidine blocked these latter signs without affecting the frequency of jumping. Of the other drugs examined only phenoxybenzamine reduced diarrhea in morphine-abstinent rats. It is suggested that serotonin is involved in the mechanisms which lead to compulsive jumping during naloxoneprecipitated withdrawal, whereas adrenergic sites on which clonidine acts are mainly involved in the expression of signs, such as ptosis and diarrhea. No clear evidence was obtained of a role for dopamine in the withdrawal signs studied.     

Antinociceptive action of quipazine: Relation to central serotonergic receptor stimulation

Quipazine, a serotonin receptor stimulant, inhibited the response of rats to painful stimuli in two methods currently used to measure antinociception in these animals: the hot plate and tail compression test. The antinociceptive action was observed with doses ranging from 5 to 20 mg/kg i.p. according to the test situation.The effect was significantly antagonized by a pretreatment with methergoline, a potent serotonin antagonist. An electrolytic lesion placed in the nucleus raphe medianus, which produced a marked decrease of serotonin in the forebrain did not, or only slightly, affected the effect of quipazine, depending on the method used to measure antinociception.It is suggested that quipazine can produce antinociceptive action in rats by interacting with a serotonergic mechanism. The action appears to be due mainly to a direct action on postsynaptic serotonin receptors, although a presynaptic component can also contribute to the effect of quipazine.Visiting scientist from Clinica Neurologica, UniversitàVisiting scientist from Clinica Neurologica, Università     

Potential antidepressant properties of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin, a selective serotonin1A receptor agonist

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a selective serotonin1A receptor agonist, was studied for its anti-immobility activity in the forced swimming test after different schedules of treatment. Single doses of 0.250 and 0.500 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT s.c. reduced the immobility time of rats with no effect on open-field activity. Similar results were obtained with a three-injection course of 8-OH-DPAT in 24 h (doses from 0.125 to 0.500 mg/kg s.c.) or with a once daily injection of 0.250 mg/kg s.c. 8-OH-DPAT for 7 or 21 days. Methiothepin 0.2 mg/kg s.c. and 1-propranolol 20 mg/kg s.c. significantly antagonized the anti-immobility effect of three injections of 0.25 mg/kg s.c. 8-OH-DPAT but 2 mg/kg i.p. metergoline had no such effect. The effect of 8-OH-DPAT was also antagonized both by 0.5 mg/kg i.p. haloperidol and 100 mg/kg i.p. sulpiride, and in animals given an intracerebroventricular injection of 150 micrograms 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine to deplete brain serotonin levels. The results show that 8-OH-DPAT, by acting on serotonin neurons in the brain, produces disinhibitory effects in a rat model predictive of antidepressant activity and suggest that serotonin1A agonists such as 8-OH-DPAT could constitute a novel class of rapid-acting antidepressant agents.     

Stimulation of serotonin1B receptors induces conditioned place aversion and facilitates cocaine place conditioning in rats

RATIONALE: Changes in serotonin(1B) (5-HT(1B)) receptor function appear to modify the reinforcing properties of cocaine, but the direction of this effect is not completely clear. Pharmacological stimulation of 5-HT(1B) enhanced the rewarding properties of self-administered cocaine while attenuating the threshold-reducing effect of cocaine in the intracerebral brain stimulation procedure. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigates how pharmacological modification of 5-HT(1B) receptor-mediated neurotransmission influence cocaine motivational properties in the conditioned place preference paradigm in rats. METHODS: In separate groups of rats the motivational properties of CP 94,253, a selective 5-HT(1B) agonist, or GR 127935, a 5-HT(1B/D) receptor partial agonist, given alone or in combination, were determined. To evaluate their influence on cocaine-induced place conditioning, CP 94,253, that was found to be aversive, was given every day before each conditioning session, while GR 127935, which given alone had no effect, was administered only before cocaine conditioning sessions. RESULTS: CP 94,253, injected IP at 2.5 and 10 (but not 0.5) mg/kg produced place aversion in the place conditioning paradigm. The aversive effect of 2.5 mg/kg CP 94,253 was completely reversed by 10 mg/kg SC GR 127935. Given before every conditioning session, CP 94,253 did not modify place conditioning by four injections of 10 mg/kg cocaine but at 2.5 mg/kg it potentiated a sub-threshold dose of cocaine. The place preference caused by these two drugs was completely reversed by 10 mg/kg GR 127935. The antagonism by GR 127935 of CP 94,253's effects was shown not to be due to the induction of state-dependent effects. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that stimulation of 5-HT(1B) receptors causes place aversion, and enhances the effect of low doses of cocaine in the conditioned place preference paradigm.     

Alnespirone and buspirone have anxiolytic-like effects in a conflict procedure in rats by stimulating 5-HT(1A) receptors

We studied the anxiolytic-like activity of alnespirone and buspirone, two 5-HT(1A) receptor agonists, in a modified Geller-Seifter conflict model, and examined the role of 5-HT(1A) receptors by studying whether WAY-100635, a selective antagonist at these receptors, blocked their effects. Administered s.c. 30 minutes before testing, 0.5 and 1mg/kg alnespirone significantly increased punished responding, whereas lower doses (0.125 and 0.25 mg/kg) had no effect. At 1mg/kg, alnespirone significantly reduced the rates of unpunished responding. One dose of buspirone (1mg/kg) significantly increased punished responding and reduced unpunished responding. Lower doses were ineffective. Administered s.c. 40 minutes before testing, WAY-100635 had no effect on any parameter but completely antagonized the effects of alnespirone (1mg/kg) and buspirone (1mg/kg) on punished responding. The ability of buspirone to reduce unpunished responding was not antagonized by WAY-100635, probably reflecting a sedative effect of buspirone due to dopamine D2 receptor blockade. The results suggest that alnespirone and buspirone have anxiolytic-like activity in a conflict procedure by stimulating 5-HT(1A) receptors, presumably at a presynaptic level. Like buspirone, alnespirone may have useful effects in the treatment of anxiety disorders.     

Evidence of an interaction between serotoninergic and cholinergic neurons in the corpus striatum and hippocampus of the rat brain

The existence of an interaction between serotoninergic and cholinergic neurons in the brain has been investigated by studying the effects of quipazine and d-fenfluramine on regional brain acetylcholine in various experimental conditions.Quipazine, at a dose of 10 mg/kg, i.p., significantly increased the levels of acetylcholine in the striatum and hippocampus but not in the telencephalon and brain stem. The striatal increase was not significantly modified by electrolytic lesions placed in the midbrain raphe nuclei, an important site of origin of serotonin-containing neurons in the brain. On the other hand, pretreatment with serotonin antagonists such as methergoline and cinanserin or with parachlorophenylalanine, a serotonin synthesis blocker, prevented the increase of striatal acetylcholine induced by quipazine. Impairment of nigrostriatal dopaminergic mechanisms by local application of 6-hydroxydopamine or by pretreatment with alpha-methylparatyrosine did not modify the effect of quipazine on acetylcholine. The quipazine-induced increase in hippocampal acetylcholine was instead completely blocked by an electrolytic lesion of the nucleus medianus raphe. d-Fenfluramine also significantly increased striatal acetycholine, this effect being completely prevented by parachlorophenylalanine pretreatment. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that serotoninergic neurons originating in the raphe nuclei may normally serve to inhibit cholinergic neurons in two areas of the rat brain, i.e. the corpus striatum and the hippocampus.     

Effect of thymoleptics on fenfluramine-induced depletion of brain serotonin in rats

d,l-Fenfluramine, l-fenfluramine, and l-norfenfluramine produced marked, comparable decreases in brain serotonin. The depletion of brain 5HT induced by fenfluramine was antagonized by chlorimipramine (Cl-IMI) but not by imipramine or desipramine. The effect of Cl-IMI was apparantly not related to major changes in the concentrations of brain fenfluramine or norfenfluramine. This antagonism by Cl-IMI was also observed in 3 different brain areas and at varying time intervals after fenfluramine injection. l-Fenfluramine and l-norfenfluramine were similarly antagonized by chlorimipramine. The anorectic effect of l-fenfluramine was also antagonized by pretreatment with Cl-IMI.The results further support the hypothesis of a direct interaction of fenfluramine with the serotonergic system in the brain.     

Effects of intraventriculary injected 6-OH dopamine or midbrain raphe lesion on morphine analgesia in rats

Two different techniques were employed to measure morphine analgesia, the hot-plate and the tail compression.An intraventricular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine, which produced a marked decrease of brain noradrenaline and dopamine, strongly potentiated the analgesic effect of morphine.The lesion of midbrain raphe, which lowers forebrain serotonin, antagonized morphine analgesia.5-Hydroxytryptophan restored serotonin levels and the analgesic effect of morphine in midbrain raphe lesioned rats.The role of brain serotonin and catecholamines on morphine analgesia is discussed.     

JL13, a pyridobenzoxazepine compound with potential atypical antipsychotic activity, increases extracellular dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, but not in the striatum and the nucleus accumbens of rats

In behavioral and receptor binding studies, 5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-8-chloro-pyridol[2,3b] [1,5]benzoxazepine (JL13) shows an atypical antipsychotic profile. We used microdialysis in awake rats to study the effects of various intraperitoneal doses of JL13 on extracellular concentrations of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens and striatum. JL13 at 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg dose-dependently raised extracellular dopamine (234% and 434% of basal levels at peak, respectively) in the prefrontal cortex whereas lower doses (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) had no effect. Extracellular concentrations of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid were also significantly increased in the prefrontal cortex of rats given 40 mg/kg JL13 (310% and 230% of basal levels, respectively). At 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg JL13 did not affect the extracellular concentrations of dopamine and its metabolites in the striatum and nucleus accumbens. The mechanisms by which JL13 increases cortical dopamine release and the significance for potential antipsychotic efficacy are discussed.