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Biomedical subjects

C A Marsden

Publications and source records attributed to C A Marsden.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

The use of Doppler shift radar to monitor physiological and drug induced activity patterns in the rat.

Doppler shift radar was used to monitor circadian activity patterns in the rat and to study the behavioural effects of p-chloroamphetamine and d-amphetamine. Activity was classified in two ways:-(a) slow (non-locomotory) and high (locomotory) speed movements. (b) the number of starts of activity, within either the slow or high speed zones of activity during a pre-set time. p-Choloramphetamine (5 mg/kg) produced a biphasic activity response; an initial increase in continuous non-locomotory activity followed by a longer lasting increase in exploratory locomotion containing regular starts of activity. d-Amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg) produced an increase in both non-locomotory and locomotory movements but a marked reduction in starts of activity (i.e. continuous non-exploratory activity). The combination of information on the amount and pattern (starts) of activity allows a more detailed analysis of the effects of drugs on activity to be made than with existing automated methods.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

5-Hydroxytryptamine: the effects of impaired synthesis on its metabolism and release in rat.

1 Control rats given L-tryptophan (100 mg/kg) showed a smaller increase of brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) than its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). However, when brain 5-HT concentrations were depleted by 40-50% after treatment with the synthesis inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) (150 mg/kg) L-tryptophan caused a considerable increase in 5-HT but no change in 5-HIAA. Similar results were obtained following depletion of brain 5-HT by pretreatment with p-chloroamphetamine (10 mg/kg).2 Electrical stimulation of the median raphe nucleus of control rats significantly increased 5-HIAA in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and striatum. However, stimulation of PCPA (200 mg/kg) pretreated animals did not significantly increase 5-H1AA either 24 or 72 h after administration of the drug.3 Pretreatment of rats with PCPA (200 mg/kg) increased striatal synaptosomal uptake of [(3)H]-5HT by 30% and reduced 5-HT concentration in the rest of the brain by 62%.4 PCPA (150 mg/kg) markedly reduced the acute behavioural response (-76%) to p-chloroamphetamine (10 mg/kg) although brain 5-HT was only moderately reduced (-36%). L-Tryptophan (100 mg/kg) given 15 min before p-chloroamphetamine restored both brain 5-HT and the behavioural effects of p-chloroamphetamine in PCPA pretreated rats and enhanced the behavioural response to p-chloroamphetamine in control rats.5 The results suggest that newly synthesized 5-HT is less rapidly metabolized in rats with low brain 5-HT. The possible reasons for this and the relevance of the results to the use of L-tryptophan in the treatment of depressive illness are discussed.

Animals↗