European journal of pharmacology
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The involvement of dopamine receptors in the beneficial effects of intracerebroventricular injection of substance P, neurokinin A and senktide on the scopolamine-induced impairment of spontaneous alternation performance was investigated in mice. Scopolamine (1 mg/kg) significantly impaired spontaneous alternation performance, while substance P (0.1 microg), neurokinin A (0.3 microg), senktide (0.003 microg) and S(-)-sulpiride (10 mg/kg), a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, improved the scopolamine (1 mg/kg)-induced disturbance of spontaneous alternation performance. However, the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 (7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1 H-3-benzazepine maleate) did not influence the scopolamine-induced disturbance of spontaneous alternation performance. ⋯ In contrast, neither SKF38393 (3 and 10 mg/kg) nor RU24213 (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) significantly affected the beneficial effects of senktide (0.003 microg) on the scopolamine (1 mg/kg)-induced impairment of spontaneous alternation performance. Although RU24213 (1 mg/kg) and SCH23390 (0.03 mg/kg) markedly decreased total arm entries, SKF38393 (10 mg/kg), RU24213 (1 mg/kg), SCH23390 (0.03 mg/kg) or S(-)-sulpiride (10 mg/kg) had no significant effects on spontaneous alternation performance. These results suggest that stimulation of dopamine D2 but not D1 receptors reverses the ameliorative effects of substance P and neurokinin A, whereas neither dopamine D1 nor D2 receptors play an important role in the beneficial effects of senktide on the scopolamine-induced impairment of spontaneous alternation performance associated with spatial working memory.
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Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic with several modes of action. Enhancement of 5-hydroxytryptamine release contributes to its actions. We investigated in which way tramadol induces 5-hydroxytryptamine release. ⋯ When NaCl was replaced by LiCl, tramadol did not affect [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine release, fenfluramine induced a small and reserpine a marked facilitation. Omission of CaCl2 did not alter fenfluramine and reserpine effects while those by tramadol were reduced. It is concluded that tramadol induces both carrier mediated 5-hydroxytryptamine release as well as exocytosis.
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In vitro radioligand binding studies were carried out in rat brain membranes to assess the affinity of various reuptake inhibitors for the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and the norepinephrine transporters using the selective ligands [3H]cyanoimipramine and [3H]nisoxetine, respectively. The selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors paroxetine, indalpine and fluvoxamine displayed a high affinity for the 5-HT transporter, whereas the norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine had a high affinity for the norepinephrine transporter. ⋯ The relatively low affinities of venlafaxine contrast with its potent in vivo 5-HT and norepinephrine reuptake blocking properties. These results raise the possibility that the in vivo effects on the 5-HT and norepinephrine reuptake observed with venlafaxine may not be mediated solely by its binding to the [3H]cyanoimipramine and [3H]nisoxetine binding sites.