Biomedical subjects

F Chaouloff

Publications and source records attributed to F Chaouloff.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed1990

Evidence that 5-HT1A receptors are involved in the adrenaline-releasing effects of 8-OH-DPAT in the conscious rat.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) is a 5-HT1A receptor-selective agonist that has recently been reported to trigger adrenal catecholamine release and hyperglycemia. The aim of this study was to analyze in the conscious rat whether the 5-HT1A receptor subtype is involved in these effects. 8-OH-DPAT (0.1-1 mg/kg, i.v.) evoked dose-dependent increases in plasma adrenaline and glucose concentrations. Increases in plasma adrenaline levels peaked 5 min after administration of 8-OH-DPAT; in contrast, plasma glucose levels rose throughout the 20 min period of analysis. Prior administration of (-)pindolol, a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist that blocks 5-HT1A receptors, markedly diminished the rise in plasma adrenaline levels and abolished the hyperglycemia triggered by 8-OH-DPAT. On the other hand, neither the selective beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, betaxolol, the selective beta 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, ICI 118.551, nor the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, ketanserin, affected 8-OH-DPAT-induced increases in plasma adrenaline levels. In addition, except for ICI 118.551 pretreatment, which delayed the hyperglycemic effect of 8-OH-DPAT, none of these antagonists affected the rise in glycaemia evoked by 8-OH-DPAT. The data suggest that the adrenaline-releasing and a major part of the hyperglycemic effects of 8-OH-DPAT are mediated by activation of 5-HT1A receptors.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1990

Determination of cerebrospinal fluid production rate using a push-pull perfusion procedure in the conscious rat.

The inulin dilution technique was used to determine the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production rate by means of a push-pull cannula implanted into a lateral ventricle. Artificial CSF containing trace amount of 3H-inulin was perfused for 2 h in conscious rats. 3H-inulin in the effluent reached a plateau level depending on the CSF production rate. The control lateroventricular CSF production was 0.98 microliters/min. Production was reduced to 0.34 microliters/min during a perfusion with acetazolamide (1 mM), a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor.

Acetazolamide↗

PubMed1989

PHysical exercise: evidence for differential consequences of tryptophan on 5-HT synthesis and metabolism in central serotonergic cell bodies and terminals.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of physical exercise (running) on serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) synthesis and metabolism in midbrain on the one hand, and in striatum and hippocampus on the other hand. To address such a question, tryptophan (TRP) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) were measured in running rats pretreated with an inhibitor of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, namely NSD 1015. In another series of experiments, the consequences of a TRP load on TRP, 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels were compared in resting and running rats. Although running triggered a 30% increase in TRP levels in the three brain regions examined, inhibition of 5-HT synthesis by NSD 1015 was found to promote increased (midbrain), unchanged (striatum) or decreased (hippocampus) 5-HTP accumulation in the running situation, respectively compared to that measured in the resting situation. Inasmuch as running-induced elevation in TRP was not associated with an increased 5-HTP accumulation in the striatum and the hippocampus, the consequences of running on regional TRP, 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels were analyzed in saline- and TRP-injected rats. Indeed, running, per se, was found to increase central TRP, 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels. On the other hand, a TRP load that promoted identical increases in central TRP levels in running and resting rats revealed that running, according to the region examined, differentially affected TRP utilization in the 5-HT synthesis pathway. Thus, in the midbrains of the resting and running rats, respective 210-250% increases in TRP led to identical 25% increases in 5-HT and 90% increases in 5-HIAA levels. Conversely, in hippocampus, TRP loads triggered marked increases in TRP levels that were similar in the controls and the runners, but the rise in 5-HIAA promoted by such a precursor load was found to be significantly minored in the runners, compared to the resting rats. Moreover, such a running-induced impairment in 5-HT synthesis and metabolism was even more observable in the striatum; thus, TRP loads which promoted identical increases in striatal TRP levels in the resting and the running rats respectively triggered a 50% and a 32% increase in 5-HT levels and a 76% and a 47% increase in 5-HIAA levels. The results presented herein indicate that under certain pharmacological conditions, TRP utilization into the 5-HT synthesis pathway is altered in serotonergic nerve terminals, but not in the cell bodies of the running rat.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Dextrofenfluramine, but not 8-OH-DPAT affects the decrease in food consumed by rats submitted to physical exercise.

The effects of physical exercise (1 hr of treadmill running) on nocturnal food consumption were investigated in trained rats. On the basis of previous reports which indicated that exercise increases central 5-HT synthesis, we also measured the consequences of 5-HT (indirect or direct) agonist administration. Noncumulative food intake data revealed that exercise diminished food consumption during the late postexercise periods whereas that of the first 4 hr of analysis remained unaltered. Treatment with dextrofenfluramine (d-FEN) at the end of the exercise session promoted hypophagia in both groups of rats; however, the anorexigenic effect of the 5-HT releaser and 5-HT uptake inhibitor d-FEN was found to be more pronounced in the runners. Lastly, an attempt was made to modify the feeding consequences of exercise by administering at the end of running an orexigenic compound, namely the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). At the two doses used, 8-OH-DPAT proved to be inactive on the respective amounts of food consumed by the controls and the runners. The data obtained herein suggest that (a) moderate exercise promotes late hypophagia, (b) 8-OH-DPAT is devoid of hyperphagic property when administered at the onset of the dark cycle, i.e., when the rats normally begin their gross daily food intake. The data obtained from the d-FEN study suggest that exercise-induced alterations in central serotonergic system could participate in the consequences of exercise on feeding behavior.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1989

Physical exercise and brain monoamines: a review.

A review of the literature on the relationship of exercise to mental health strongly suggests that the two are closely linked. Thus, physical activity has been reported to reduce depression symptoms and anxiety, and to improve coping with stress. Logically, many investigators have then tried to determine the physiological mechanisms that are responsible for this mood-elevating effect of exercise. Among the current hypotheses, those regarding the endorphin and the monoamine systems have received a great deal of attention. On that basis, the respective effects of physical exercise on brain dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin transmission are reviewed herein. In addition, suggestions are advanced for future research in this field.

Biogenic Monoamines↗

PubMed1989

Peripheral and central consequences of immobilization stress in genetically obese Zucker rats.

Peripheral and central effects of acute and chronic immobilization stress were measured in lean and obese Zucker female rats. Thus hypothalamic serotonergic metabolism was analyzed by measuring the concentrations of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), tryptophan (TRP; the precursor of 5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA; 5-HT metabolite). In addition, plasma total TRP, free fatty acid (FFA), insulin, and corticosterone concentrations were measured. Analysis of stress-induced changes in food consumption were also included. A single 2-h restraint stress was found to increase TRP availability in the hypothalamus of both rats; this promoted an increase in 5-HIAA in the lean rats and increases in 5-HT and 5-HIAA in the obese (fa/fa) rats. These modifications were associated with marked decreases in plasma total TRP and insulinemia in the lean and obese rats. Whereas stress triggered similar hypercorticosteronemia and hyperglycemia, FFA was increased in the lean rats only. Consecutive hypophagia was noted in all the rats. Twenty-four hours after the last of the four 2-h stress sessions, hypothalamic 5-HIAA was increased in the obese rats and plasma TRP and FFA levels decreased in both rats. Although both groups of rats were normoglycemic, stress-induced hyperinsulinemia was evidenced in the lean rats, thus suggesting that chronic stress promotes insulin resistance. These metabolic variations were associated with normal food consumption and increased body weight gains in the lean and obese Zucker rats.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Duration of streptozotocin diabetes influences the response of hypothalamic serotonin metabolism to immobilization stress.

Neurochemical and metabolic effects of acute (immobilization for 2 h) and chronic (immobilization for 2 h/day for 4 consecutive days) stress were investigated in diabetic female rats either pretreated 1 week or 5 weeks earlier with streptozotocin (STZ). Hypothalamic serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) metabolism was estimated by measuring the respective levels of 5-HT precursor, the amino acid tryptophan (TRP), 5-HT and the 5-HT metabolite, namely 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). To assess the respective metabolic effects of stress and diabetes, plasma total TRP, insulin, glucose and corticosterone levels were measured. Short- and long-term STZ treatment triggered marked decreases in plasma total TRP and hypothalamus TRP levels but the diabetogenic agent diminished 5-HT metabolism in the 1-week ST-treated rats only. Acute stress promoted a marked decrease in plasma total TRP in the vehicle-treated rats and in the 1-week-diabetic rats, which was associated with significant increases in hypothalamic TRP and 5-HIAA levels. In the 5-week-diabetic rats, a single restraint affected neither peripheral and central TRP levels nor hypothalamus 5-HT metabolism. Acute stress triggered hypercorticosteronemia in all groups of rats but it promoted hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia in the vehicle-injected rats only. Twenty-four hours after the fourth immobilization, plasma total TRP was reduced in the vehicle-injected rats only with no effect on hypothalamic levels of TRP. On the other hand, chronic restraint was found to reduce exclusively hypothalamus 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels in the 5-week-diabetic rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1989

[Effect of transcranial electrical stimulation on sleep in rats].

Transcranial electrical stimulation with high frequency intermittent current (Limoge's current) was delivered to normal rats and to PCPA-treated rats with impaired sleep. Electrocorticogram was continuously recorded for quantifying the stage of the sleep-waking cycle. The current did not affect the sleep pattern of normal rats whereas the number of paradoxical sleep episodes increased in insomniac animals. The increased duration of paradoxical sleep in PCPA-treated rats favored the recovery of sleep in this group. The stimulation increased the brain serotonin turnover, which could possibly contribute to its hypnogenic action.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Feeding responses to a high dose of 8-OH-DPAT in young and adult rats: influence of food texture.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the hyperphagic responses to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), in young and adult rats fed either a powder diet or pellets. In the young rats, 8-OH-DPAT (500 micrograms/kg s.c.) increased the consumption of pellets--but not powder--during the 2 h following drug administration. On the other hand, 8-OH-DPAT did not promote hyperphagia in adult rats presented with either pellets or a powdered diet. The influence of the 5-HT1A agonist on midbrain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) turnover was examined. Administration of 8-OH-DPAT (500 micrograms/kg s.c.) induced similar decreases in 5-HT turnover, as reflected by the ratio of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) to 5-HT, in young and adult rats 1 h after administration. Nevertheless, some metabolic responses to 8-OH-DPAT were found to be influenced by age. Young and adult rats were injected with a low dose of 8-OH-DPAT (50 micrograms/kg s.c.) to specifically test the presynaptic regulation of 5-HT turnover. Again, midbrain 5-HIAA to 5-HT ratios were decreased to the same extent in both young and adult rats. The results suggest that (i) gnawing may be an important parameter in the food consumption that is triggered by a high dose of 8-OH-DPAT, (ii) analysis of the presynaptic effects of 8-OH-DPAT on 5-HT turnover cannot solely explain the influence of the agonist on feeding behavior.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1988

Hyperinsulinemia of the genetically obese (fa/fa) rat is decreased by a low dose of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT).

Changes in glycemia and insulinemia were determined in conscious lean (FA/?) and obese (fa/fa) rats after acute administration of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). The intravenous injection of a low dose of 8-OH-DPAT (150 micrograms/kg) to lean rats rapidly promoted hyperglycemia. This modification was associated with a slight increase in insulinemia. The injection of 8-OH-DPAT markedly decreased basal hyperinsulinemia in obese rats while inducing hyperglycemia. Further evidence of the strong inhibitory effect of 8-OH-DPAT on insulin release was obtained in lean and obese rats during glucose tolerance tests. Intracerebroventricular injection of 8-OH-DPAT (45 micrograms/animal) triggered hyperglycemia and markedly decreased insulinemia in both lean and obese rats. This hypoinsulinemic effect of 8-OH-DPAT was more pronounced in the obese than in the lean animals. Measurement of the food intake elicited by 8-OH-DPAT (500 micrograms/kg s.c.) showed that the hyperphagic action of the 5-HT1A agonist was the same in FA/? and fa/fa rats. It is suggested that: (i) hyperinsulinemia of the genetically obese rat may be diminished by a low dose of 8-OH-DPAT; (ii) 5-HT1A autoreceptor-mediated regulation of serotonergic activity is not different in lean (FA/?) and obese (fa/fa) rats; (iii) 8-OH-DPAT could be of potential therapeutic use for some aspects of the pathology of type II diabetes.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1988

Comparative pharmacokinetics of D- and L-alphamethyldopa in plasma, aqueous humor, and cerebrospinal fluid in rabbits.

The 2 stereoisomers of alphamethyldopa (alpha MD) were separately injected IV at 3 different doses (3, 10, 30 mg/kg) in anesthetized rabbits. Samples of plasma, aqueous humor (AH), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were collected over a 300-min period. The concentration of the aminoacid (AA) was determined by liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection. Parameters obtained from kinetic analyses of the plasma concentrations were close to the values reported in other species. Linear elimination kinetics were observed in the dose range studied. A marked dose-dependent entry of alpha MD was observed in AH. A stereospecific active transport of alpha MD was evidenced in the AH since the concentration of the L-isomer reached values above the plasma levels. CSF entry of the AA was small when compared to AH kinetics. A limited passive diffusion of the AA in the brain could account for this phenomenon. However, greater availability of the L-stereoisomer was still observed in CSF. These alpha MD kinetic analyses illustrate the adaptation of AH and CSF removal procedures to the pharmacokinetic studies of the brain and ocular entry of AA isomers.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Amphetamine and alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine affect the exercise-induced imbalance between the availability of tryptophan and synthesis of serotonin in the brain of the rat.

This study was performed to investigate the effects of exercise on the synthesis of dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the brain of the trained rat. The consequences on the relationships between these two systems were also examined. The sum of the levels of free 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) plus homovanillic acid (HVA) was increased by running and remained elevated throughout the first hour of recovery. Regional studies indicated that the levels of DA were increased in the midbrain, hypothalamus and hippocampus. In these areas, DOPAC showed little variation whereas HVA was largely increased. Administration of pargyline confirmed this increase in the metabolism of DA in hypothalamus and midbrain during running. Food deprivation and administration of tryptophan clearly revealed that running, despite increasing levels of tryptophan and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in brain, reduced the central control of synthesis of 5-HT by tryptophan, probably by inhibiting tryptophan hydroxylase. To examine if such an alteration was caused by the running-induced activation of metabolism of DA in brain, compounds known to affect the activity of DA were used. Administration of amphetamine potentiated the relative inhibition of synthesis of 5-HT induced by running, while alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine prevented this effect of exercise. Haloperidol did not produce any significant change. It is concluded that the control of the synthesis of 5-HT in brain by the availability of tryptophan is altered during exercise and that the increased central catecholaminergic activity participates in such an alteration.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

PubMed1987

5-HT1A and alpha-2 adrenergic receptors mediate the hyperglycemic and hypoinsulinemic effects of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin in the conscious rat.

The ability of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) to affect plasma glucose levels and insulin release was assessed in rats bearing chronic jugular catheters. The i.v. administration of 8-OH-DPAT (150 micrograms/kg) rapidly promoted a transient hyperglycemia. Despite high glucose levels, insulinemia remained constant. Dose-response curves revealed that maximal hyperglycemia was associated with hypoinsulinemia. Increased glycemia, which was also found to be induced by other 5-HT direct and indirect agonists, lasted longer in food-deprived rats. Evidence for a strong inhibitory effect of 8-OH-DPAT on insulin release was reported in rats submitted to i.v. glucose tolerance tests. Pretreatments with the dopaminergic blocker haloperidol, the alpha-1 adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin or the 5-HT2 blocker ketanserin were ineffective. In contrast, the alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan and the unspecific 5-HT antagonist methiotepin prevented the hyperglycemic and the hypoinsulinemic effects of 8-OH-DPAT. Blockade of these changes by (-)-propranolol (a 5-HT1 blocker), but not by (+)-propranolol, indicated that 5-HT1 and alpha-2 adrenergic receptors mediated 8-OH-DPAT-induced hyperglycemia. Reserpine pretreatment did not prevent the effects of 8-OH-DPAT. Central injection of 8-OH-DPAT induced hyperglycemia, the amplitude of which was equivalent to that measured after i.v. administration. Selective degeneration of serotonergic nerve cells by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine did not prevent 8-OH-DPAT-induced alterations, thus rendering a key role for presynaptic mechanisms unlikely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1986

Female rats are more vulnerable than males in an animal model of depression: the possible role of serotonin.

A single 2-h restraint stress reduces locomotion and increases defaecation of male rats placed in an open field 24 h later. After daily 2-h restraints for 5 days these effects were no longer observed. This adaptation was associated with enhanced sensitivity to the serotonin agonist 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine. Female rats were less affected by a single restraint but failed to adapt to the repeated stress procedure and did not exhibit enhanced sensitivity to 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine. Furthermore, females but not males killed 24 h after the final restraint period had decreased brain regional 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations particularly in the frontal cortex. No sex differences in hypothalamic and striatal dopamine metabolism were observed. The above differences between male and female rats were unaffected by adult gonadectomy. Similar differences could be involved in the higher incidence of depressive illness in women.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Peripheral and central short-term effects of fusaric acid, a DBH inhibitor, on tryptophan and serotonin metabolism in the rat.

Fusaric acid (FA) administration to the rats promoted one hour later a large decrease in plasma total tryptophan (TRP), without affecting either plasma free TRP or lipolysis, as measured by plasma non esterified fatty acid concentration. The previous change was associated with hypoinsulinemia, hyperglycemia and increased plasma corticosterone level. Regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between brain TRP and the percentage of plasma TRP which was free (i.e. unbound to albumin), both increased by FA injection. The increase in brain TRP promoted an increased brain serotonin synthesis, as measured by the enhanced brain and CSF 5-HIAA levels. Valine pretreatment, which blocks TRP entry into the brain, completely prevented FA-induced brain TRP and brain 5-HIAA increases. These results suggest that the increased brain serotonergic turnover following FA treatment was due to a peripheral action of the drug upon TRP disposition. The latter effect may be caused (i) by in vivo peripheral alterations in catecholaminergic metabolism and (ii) by FA chemical structure since in vitro experiments revealed that FA was able to displace TRP binding to albumin, thus increasing the plasma free TRP pool.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Motor activity increases tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and homovanillic acid in ventricular cerebrospinal fluid of the conscious rat.

An investigation was made into the effects of running (1 h at 20 m/min) on central serotonergic and dopaminergic metabolism in trained rats. Methodology involved continuous withdrawal of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the third ventricle of conscious rats and measurements of tryptophan (TRP), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels during a 2 h post-exercise period. All three compounds were increased during the hour following exercise and returned to their basal values within an hour later. CSF flow rate was stable when metabolite levels were elevated. Brain determinations indicated that CSF metabolite variations only qualitatively paralleled brain changes. Indeed, post-exercise TRP, 5-HIAA, and HVA levels were increased to a greater extent in brain when compared to CSF. It is suggested that increased serotonergic and dopaminergic metabolism, caused by motor activity, may be involved in the behavioral effects of exercise.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Amino acid analysis demonstrates that increased plasma free tryptophan causes the increase of brain tryptophan during exercise in the rat.

Rats were trained to run on a horizontal treadmill for 2 h at 20 m/min. This activity considerably increased plasma free tryptophan (TRP) (+70%) but did not alter plasma total TRP levels and had little or no effect on plasma concentrations of the other large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) that compete with TRP for entry into the brain. Brain TRP levels increased by 80%. The only other brain LNAA to be affected by exercise was threonine, which rose moderately. The results indicate that increased plasma free TRP was specifically responsible for the increase of brain TRP after 2 h of exercise. Brain lysine was also increased whereas glycine, alanine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid were decreased. The differences between the present findings and those previously obtained following 2 h immobilization stress are discussed.

Alanine↗

PubMed1985

Fusaric acid-induced elevation of homovanillic acid in the CSF as an index of brain noradrenaline synthesis.

The effect of the dopamine-beta-hydroxylase inhibitor, fusaric acid (FA), on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homovanillic acid (HVA) was studied in pentobarbitone-anesthetized rats. Idazoxan, a selective alpha 2-antagonist, accentuated the FA-induced HVA elevation in CSF while alpha-methyldopa pretreatment prevented this effect of FA on the HVA level in CSF. These results could indicate that the rate of dopamine synthesis in noradrenaline neurons could be the main determinant of the FA-induced HVA elevation.

Animals↗