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M Hamon

Publications and source records attributed to M Hamon.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Electrophysiological effects of WAY 100635, a new 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, on dorsal raphe nucleus serotoninergic neurones and CA1 pyramidal cells in vitro.

The novel 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635 [(N-(2-(-4(2-metoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl)ethyl)-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyc lohexane carboxamide)] has been tested on 5-HT1A receptor-mediated inhibition of firing and intracellularly recorded hyperpolarisation of serotoninergic cells of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and on hyperpolarisation of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells. WAY 100635 selectively blocked 5-HT1A receptor-mediated responses of 5-HT, 8-OH-DPAT, lesopitron and 5-CT. The antagonism of the hyperpolarisation elicited by 5-CT was competitive in the DRN and non competitive in CA1, probably because of the existence of a 5-HT1A receptor reserve in serotoninergic cells of DRN.

Animals↗

Relation of coronary angioscopic findings at coronary angioplasty to angiographic restenosis.

BACKGROUND: Discordant results have been reported regarding morphological predictors of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). These discrepancies may be related to the limitations of angiography in the study of plaque morphology. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 117 consecutive patients who underwent successful PTCA and who underwent coronary angioscopy before and immediately after the procedure. Angiographic follow-up was performed in 99 (85%) patients. We analyzed the relationship between angioscopic variables at the time of PTCA and the occurrence of restenosis assessed by quantitative coronary angiography. Plaque shape and color had no effect on late loss in luminal diameter (late loss: smooth lesions, 0.55 +/- 0.68 mm; complex lesions, 0.76 +/- 0.60 mm; white plaques, 0.51 +/- 0.56 mm; yellow plaques, 0.65 +/- 0.72 mm; P = NS). An angioscopic protruding thrombus at the PTCA site was associated with significantly greater loss in luminal diameter (late loss: no thrombus, 0.47 +/- 0.54 mm; lining thrombus, 0.59 +/- 0.67 mm; protruding thrombus, 1.07 +/- 0.77 mm; P < .05). Dissection assessed by angioscopy immediately after PTCA had no effect on late loss in luminal diameter (late loss: no dissection, 0.60 +/- 0.60 mm; simple dissection, 0.82 +/- 0.75 mm; complex dissection, 0.57 +/- 0.80 mm; P = NS). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that coronary angioscopy may be helpful in predicting the risk of restenosis after PTCA. The high rate of angiographic recurrence observed when PTCA is performed at thrombus-containing lesions supports a role for thrombus in the process of luminal renarrowing after PTCA.

Aged↗

Immunolabeling of the Na+/Cl(-)-dependent "orphan" transporter Rxt1 in the rat central nervous system.

Previous studies have shown that the mRNA encoding the Na+/Cl(-)-dependent "orphan" transporter Rxt1 is expressed exclusively in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study, specific antibodies were raised in rabbits for the detailed mapping of this transporter in the rat. The C-terminal part of Rxt1 was fused with glutathione-S-transferase (Rxt1ct-GST) and the resulting fusion protein was used as antigen. The specificity of the antiserum toward Rxt1 was confirmed by immunofluorescent, Western blot, and immunoautoradiographic experiments. In cerebral cortex membranes, Rxt1-like material recognized by the antiserum is a glycosylated protein of 97-116 kDa. This protein was the most abundant in the caudate-putamen, followed, in decreasing order, by the cerebral cortex approximately hippocampus > cerebellum > brainstem > spinal cord. In contrast, no immunoreactive material could be detected in peripheral tissues (tongue, thymus, heart, lung, spleen, kidney, adrenals, liver, skeletal muscle, intestine, testis). Immunoautoradiographic labeling with affinity-purified anti-Rxt1ct-GST antibodies showed high levels of Rxt1-like material in the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, striatal complex, hippocampal formation, superior layer of the anterior colliculus, cortex, and deep nuclei in the cerebellum. The regional distribution of Rxt1-like material generally matched that of GABAergic and glutamatergic projections in agreement with previous in situ hybridization data.

Animals↗

Chronic alcoholization alters the expression of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor subtypes in rat brain.

The expression of central 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors was studied in several brain areas of rats subjected to a 2-week period of chronic alcoholization, followed by 18 h withdrawal. Quantitative autoradiography indicated that the ethanol treatment provoked an increase (approximately +30%) in the labeling by [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT) and [3H]N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl) cyclohexane carboxamide ([3H]WAY-100635) of 5-HT1A autoreceptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus, accompanied by a concomitant decrease in the labeling of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in the hippocampus (approximately -20%), anterior (approximately -30%) and posterior (approximately -32%) cortices. These changes were associated with a tendency toward an increase and decrease in 5-HT1A mRNA levels in the anterior raphe area and hippocampus, respectively, suggesting that the changes observed are due to modifications in 5-HT1A receptor protein synthesis. The autoradiographic labeling of 5-HT1B receptors by serotonin-O-carboxymethylglycyl[125I]iodotyrosinamide ([125I]GTI) was found to increase (+55%) in the globus pallidus of alcoholized rats. Interestingly, a significant increase (+57%) in 5-HT1B receptor mRNA levels was observed in the striatum, which contains cell bodies of neurons projecting into the globus pallidus. These data suggest that altered sensitivity of chronically alcoholized rats to 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor ligands may result from alcohol-induced changes in the transcription of the genes encoding these receptors.

Animals↗

Modification of behavioral effects of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin following chronic ethanol consumption in the rat: evidence for the involvement of 5-HT1A receptors in ethanol dependence.

Behavioral effects induced by 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT; i.e., lower lip retraction, flat body posture, and forepaw treading) were examined in rats during ethanol withdrawal following a 2-week period of access to a liquid diet containing 9% (v/v) ethanol. After an 18 h withdrawal period, tolerance to 8-OH-DPAT-induced flat body posture and, conversely, sensitization to the effects of 8-OH-DPAT on lower lip retraction were observed in the 9% ethanol group as compared to control rats fed an isocaloric diet. In contrast, 8-OH-DPAT-induced forepaw treading in the 9% ethanol group was not significantly different in comparison to control rats. Plasma corticosterone levels were significantly higher in the ethanol-exposed group than in control animals, an effect which was not additive with the increase in corticosterone levels normally observed after the administration of low doses of 8-OH-DPAT. Altered flat body posture and lower lip retraction responses to a submaximal dose of 8-OH-DPAT (2.5 mg/kg i.p.) were still observed as late as 3 days after withdrawal of the 9% ethanol liquid diet, but were no longer apparent at 7 days. Interestingly, prominent ethanol withdrawal signs such as tremor and rigidity, while occurring on the first day, were completely absent on the third day. Taken together, these results indicate that chronic ethanol exposure differentially alters sensitivity to several pharmacological effects of the 5-HT1A receptor ligand 8-OH-DPAT. They further support the involvement of 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine, serotonin) systems in alcohol abuse and therapeutic interventions using 5-HT1A ligands.

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

Accumulation of fetal fibronectin mRNAs after balloon denudation of rabbit arteries.

BACKGROUND: Fibronectin (FN), a component of the extracellular matrix, influences cellular migration and differentiation. It is a prominent component of the extracellular matrix of normal arteries and is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of restenosis after angioplasty. FN exists in multiple forms that arise from a single RNA transcript that can be alternatively spliced. EIIIA- and EIIIB-containing FN mRNAs predominate in the embryo, whereas in the adult, most of the normal tissue FN lacks these domains. Since few data were available concerning pattern of expression of the different alternatively spliced forms of FN mRNA in arteries after endoluminal injury, we analyzed the expression of EIIIA and EIIIB FN isoforms at different times after experimental angioplasty. METHODS AND RESULTS: The spatial and temporal alterations in FN expression were studied in an in vivo model of endothelial denudation in the rabbit aorta and iliac artery by a combination of immunochemistry and in situ hybridization methods. Alternatively spliced forms of FN EIIIA and EIIIB were detected in the media and the adventitia of both types of vessels 24 to 48 hours after injury. Two weeks after injury, EIIIA and EIIIB mRNAs were found to accumulate within the luminal layers of the neointima. The cellular form of FN protein was not found until 2 weeks after the injury and accumulated in the inner part of the neointima. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that FN upregulation is an early and long-lasting process after arterial injury. These results suggest that the induction of the embryonic FN isoforms may be involved in the restenotic process that follows balloon denudation of arteries.

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Relation between the deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and late luminal narrowing after coronary angioplasty.

BACKGROUND: The insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. The deletion allele is strongly associated with the level of circulating ACE and is a potent risk factor for myocardial infarction. Recently, the deletion allele was also associated with the occurrence of visually diagnosed restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in a selected population of patients with acute myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated the influence of the ACE I/D polymorphism on the occurrence of restenosis after PTCA with the use of quantitative coronary angiography. ACE I/D genotypes were characterized in 118 consecutive patients who had one-vessel disease and were undergoing systematic angiographic follow-up. Coronary angiograms were analyzed before and after PTCA and at follow-up (7.4 +/- 3.0 months). Before PTCA, there were no clinical or angiographic differences among the three groups of genotypes (DD, n = 39; ID, n = 62; II, n = 17). After PTCA, the mean differences in minimal luminal diameter between post-PTCA and pre-PTCA angiograms (acute gain) were identical in the three groups, as was the mean percent residual stenosis. At follow-up angiography, the mean difference in minimal coronary luminal diameter between post-PTCA and follow-up angiograms (late loss) was not significantly different in the three groups of genotypes. The percentage of patients with restenosis defined as a > 50% stenosis was identical in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this quantitative study, the I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene had no influence on the occurrence of restenosis after coronary angioplasty.

Adult↗

Novel, potent, and selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonists based on the arylpiperazine skeleton: synthesis, structure, biological activity, and comparative molecular field analysis studies.

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a series of condensed quinoline derivatives bearing a basic nitrogen on piperazine or [(dimethylamino)ethyl]thio moieties attached at the 2-position of the quinoline nucleus are described. 5-HT receptor binding studies revealed, for most of the compounds studied, nanomolar affinity for the 5-HT3 receptor subtype. The most active compound, benzopyrano[3,4-c]quinoline derivative 5f, displayed a Ki value very similar to that reported for quipazine along with an improved selectivity. Functional and in vivo testing carried out on three selected compounds showed that 5f,j,n are potent 5-HT3 receptor antagonists with potencies in the same range as the best known 5-HT3 receptor antagonists ondansetron, tropisetron, and zacopride. The crystal and molecular structures of compounds 5f,j,n were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and used as starting structures for molecular modeling studies. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) was applied to binding constants of compounds 5a-p and 6a-h. The cross-validated r2, derived from partial least-squares calculations, indicated a good predictive capacity for affinity values in the series of compounds investigated. Evidence for the prediction capacity is provided in the form of plots of actual vs predicted pKi values. The steric and electrostatic features of the CoMFA-derived model are presented as standard coefficient contour maps of steric and electrostatic fields.

Animals↗

Detection of autoantibodies against oxidized low-density lipoproteins and of IgG-bound low density lipoproteins in patients with coronary artery disease.

The role of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis has been the object of intense investigation. It has been proposed that, due to the antigenic properties of ox-LDL, the anti-ox-LDL antibody titre could represent a useful index of in vivo LDL oxidation. On the other hand, LDL immune complexes (LDL-IC) have been demonstrated in patients with coronary disease and could play an atherogenic role. The goal of our study was to investigate anti-malondialdehyde (MDA)-LDL autoantibodies and LDL-IC in a cohort of patients with coronary artery disease. Seventy control subjects and 70 coronary angiographically documented patients were compared; in addition 32 healthy male non-smokers were compared with 32 healthy male smokers (> 10 cigarettes/day). All patients were matched for age and cholesterolemia. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure anti-MDA-LDL autoantibodies and LDL-IC. Titres of anti-MDA-LDL autoantibodies were not larger in patients with documented coronary artery stenosis and in smokers than they were in controls and non-smokers. The titre of LDL-IC was not higher in patients with coronary artery stenosis than in controls. The results thus indicate that in populations matched for age and cholesterolemia the titres of anti-MDA-LDL autoantibodies and the titre of LDL-IC are not increased in patients suffering from coronary artery stenosis. Furthermore, cigarette smoking does not induce higher titres of anti-MDA-LDL autoantibodies in healthy patients.

Aged↗

Electrophysiological activity of raphe dorsalis serotoninergic neurones in a possible model of endogenous depression.

It has been proposed that serotoninergic activity is impaired in endogenous depression. We tested this hypothesis in an experimental model, where rats which have been treated with clomipramine during the first month of life exhibit at adult age behavioural and sleep alterations which resemble the human disorder. Recording of serotoninergic neurones in the dorsal raphe nucleus revealed no modification of their spontaneous firing, but a reduced inhibitory response to the 5-HT re-uptake blocker citalopram in clomipramine-treated rats as compared to controls. This suggests that neonatal clomipramine treatment results in a long lasting desensitization of somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors, leading possibly to a dysregulation of 5-HT neurone activity in this proposed model of depression.

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Localization of 5-HT3 receptors in the rat spinal cord: immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.

Specific antibodies raised against a fusion protein containing the amino acid sequence of the putative second intracellular loop of the cloned 5-HT3-A receptor subunit were used for the immunohistochemical visualization of 5-HT3 receptors in the rat spinal cord. A dense 5-HT3-like immunoreactivity was found in the superficial layers of the dorsal horn, which closely matched the labelling of 5-HT3 binding sites by [125I]iodo-zacopride. This immunostaining was markedly decreased following unilateral rhizotomy, consistently with a preferential location of 5-HT3 receptors on terminals of primary afferent fibres, and with the presence of 5-HT3 mRNA in dorsal root ganglia. However, a significant proportion of 5-HT3 receptors persisted after rhizotomy, and the corresponding mRNA was found in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. 5-HT3 receptors are therefore also located on intrinsic neurones of the spinal cord.

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The selective 5-HT1A antagonist radioligand [3H]WAY 100635 labels both G-protein-coupled and free 5-HT1A receptors in rat brain membranes.

The tritiated derivative of the novel silent 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635 [N-(2-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl)ethyl)-N-(2-pyridinyl) cyclohexane carboxamide] was tested as a potential radioligand of 5-HT1A receptors in the rat brain. Binding assays with membranes from various brain regions showed that [3H]WAY 100635 specifically bound to a homogeneous population of sites, with a Kd of 0.10 nM. The regional distribution of [3H]WAY 100635 specific binding sites, as assessed in membrane binding assays and by autoradiography of labelled brain sections, superimposed exactly over that of 5-HT1A receptors specifically labelled by [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT). Furthermore, the positive correlation (r = 0.96) between the respective pKi values of a large series of ligands as inhibitors of the specific binding of [3H]WAY 100635 and [3H]8-OH-DPAT in hippocampal membranes indicated that their pharmacological properties were similar. Nevertheless, marked differences also existed between [3H]8-OH-DPAT and [3H]WAY 100635 specific binding, as the former was inhibited by 1-100 microM GTP and GppNHp, whereas the latter was enhanced by these guanine nucleotides. In contrast, Mn2+ (1-10 mM) increased the specific binding of [3H]8-OH-DPAT, but inhibited that of [3H]WAY 100635. Treatment of membranes with N-ethylmaleimide (1-5 mM) markedly reduced their capacity to specifically bind [3H]8-OH-DPAT, but slightly increased (at 1 mM) or did not affect (at 5 mM) their [3H]WAY 100635 specific binding capacity. Finally, the Bmax of [3H]WAY 100635 specific binding sites was regularly 50-60% higher than that of [3H]8-OH-DPAT in the same membrane preparations from various brain regions (hippocampus, septum, cerebral cortex). These data are compatible with the idea that whereas [3H]8-OH-DPAT only binds to G-protein-coupled 5-HT1A receptors, [3H]WAY 100635 is a high affinity ligand of both G-protein-coupled and free 5-HT1A receptor binding subunits in brain membranes.

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

In situ hybridization evidence for the synthesis of 5-HT1B receptor in serotoninergic neurons of anterior raphe nuclei in the rat brain.

The regional distribution of the mRNA encoding the serotonin 5-HT1B receptor was studied in the central nervous system of the rat by in situ hybridization histochemistry and Northern blot analysis. A 180 base pair probe, corresponding to a highly selective portion of the third intracellular loop of the rat 5-HT1B receptor, was used. In most regions, a single 5 kb message was found by Northern blot analysis. However, two additional bands (2.5 and 4 kb) were detected in the striatum. The rank order of 5-HT1B mRNA abundance was striatum >> septum = ventral tegmentum > or = colliculi = hypothalamus = hippocampus > brain stem > or = cerebellum > or = dorsal horn of the spinal cord > cerebral cortex > or = ventral horn of the spinal cord > olfactory tubercle. This distribution was confirmed by in situ hybridization, which further revealed that the 5-HT1B mRNA was present in dorsal root ganglia, the layer IV of the cerebral cortex, the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum, the pyramidal neurons in the CA1 area of the hippocampus, and the dorsal and median raphe nuclei. In situ hybridization was also performed in nomifensine (10 mg/kg/i.p.)-pretreated rats whose serotoninergic neurons were extensively and selectively lesioned by microinjection of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (8 micrograms/1 microliter) directly into the anteroventral vicinity of anterior raphe nuclei 3 weeks before sacrifice. In lesioned rats, 5-HT1B mRNA was present in the same areas and at the same levels as in control rats, except in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, where a marked decrease (-75%) in its local concentration was observed. These data provide the first demonstration of the synthesis of 5-HT1B receptor within serotoninergic neurons, as expected of their presynaptic autoreceptor function at the level of serotoninergic terminals.

5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine↗

Early desensitization of somato-dendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors in rats treated with fluoxetine or paroxetine.

Electrophysiological and autoradiographic approaches were used to assess possible changes in 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 5-HT1A receptors in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus after a subchronic treatment with fluoxetine or paroxetine, two specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors with antidepressant properties. Fluoxetine or paroxetine were injected daily (5 mg/kg, i.p.) for various time periods up to 21 days. Electrophysiological recordings performed 24 h after the last injection showed that the potency of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, to depress the firing of serotoninergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus within brain stem slices was significantly reduced as early as after a 3-day treatment with either drug. The proportion of recorded neurons showing desensitization of somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors increased along the treatment from approximately 40% on the 3rd day to 60-80% on the 21st day. At no time during the treatment, was the specific binding of [3H]8-OH-DPAT (agonist radioligand) or [3H]WAY-100 635 (antagonist radioligand) to 5-HT1A receptors modified in the dorsal raphe nucleus or in other brain areas, suggesting that neither the density nor the coupling of these receptors to G-proteins were probably altered in rats injected with fluoxetine or paroxetine for up to 21 days. These results show that adaptive desensitization of somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors within the dorsal raphe nucleus can already be detected after a 3-day treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Rather than the desensitization per se, it may be the progressive increase in the number of serotoninergic neurons with desensitized 5-HT1A autoreceptors which plays a critical role in the (slowly developing) antidepressant action of these drugs.

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

Small subcortical infarcts and primary subcortical haemorrhages may have different risk factors.

Primary subcortical haemorrhages (SCH) and small subcortical infarcts (SSI) arise from changes in penetrating perforating arteries. The aim of this study was to compare cerebrovascular risk factors between patients with SCH and patients with SSI. Of 396 patients with a first-ever stroke (226 males; 170 females; median-age: 63), 108 had SSI, and 64 SCH, with or without subcortical infarcts co-existing. Patients with SCH were less likely to have current atrial fibrillation or associated non-lacunar infarcts, but they were more likely to have arterial hypertension (except after exclusion of patients with co-existence of SSI and SCH) and alcoholism, and they were significantly younger and had lower leukoaraiosis scores. The independent factors for SCH were alcoholism, arterial hypertension and lack of significant internal carotid artery stenosis. The only independent factor for SSI was leukoaraiosis score. Hypertension was the most important risk factor in both groups, but its prevalence was higher in the SCH group. Whether patients will develop SSI or SCH probably depends on associated risk factors such as alcohol consumption. Further studies should also take into account the characteristics of arterial hypertension.

Adult↗

Effects of dorsal rhizotomy and selective lesion of serotonergic and noradrenergic systems on 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, and 5-HT3 receptors in the rat spinal cord.

Autoradiographic studies were performed in combination with dorsal rhizotomy or selective lesion of descending serotonergic or noradrenergic systems in an attempt to identify the neuronal cell types endowed with the serotonin 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B and 5-HT3 receptors in the rat spinal cord. Unilateral sectioning of seven dorsal roots (C4-T2) at the cervical level produced a marked decrease (approximately-75%, 10 days after the surgery) in the binding of [125I]iodozacopride to 5-HT3 receptors in the superficial layers of the ipsilateral dorsal horn, further confirming the preferential location of these receptors on primary afferent fibres. In addition, a significant decrease (approximately 20%) in the binding of [3H]8-OH-DPAT to 5-HT1A receptors and of [125I]GTI to 5-HT1B receptors was also observed in the same spinal area in rhizotomized rats, suggesting that a small proportion of these receptors are also located on primary afferent fibres. The labelling of 5-HT1B receptors was significantly decreased (-12%) in the dorsal horn at the cervical (but not the lumbar) level, and that of 5-HT3 receptors was unchanged in the whole spinal cord in rats whose descending serotonergic projections had been destroyed by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine. Conversely, the labelling of 5-HT1A receptors was significantly increased in the cervical (+13%) and lumbar (+42%) dorsal horn in 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine-lesioned rats. Similarly, [3H]8-OH-DPAT binding to 5-HT1A receptors significantly increased (+26%) in the lumbar (but not the cervical) dorsal horn in rats whose noradrenergic systems had been lesioned by DSP-4. The labelling of 5-HT1B receptors was also increased (+31% at the cervical level; +17% at the lumbar level), whereas that of 5-HT3 receptors remained unchanged in these animals. These data indicate that complex adaptive changes in the expression of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors occurred in the rat spinal cord following the lesion of descending monoaminergic systems.

5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine↗

Failure of CCK receptor ligands to modify anxiety-related behavioural suppression in an operant conflict paradigm in rats.

The effects of cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor ligands were studied in the rat safety signal withdrawal conflict procedure, an operant paradigm sensitive to both anxiolytic and anxiogenic compounds. In this procedure, behavioural suppression of lever pressing for food was induced by the withdrawal of a conditioned signal for safety without the usual presentation of a conditioned signal for danger. The compounds tested were selective CCK-B antagonists [CI-988 (0.01-1 mg/kg SC), L-365,260 (0.004-2 mg/kg IP) and LY 262,691 (0.001-1 mg/kg SC)], CCK-B agonists [CCK-4 (0.01-1 mg/kg SC) and BC 264 (0.004-1 mg/kg IP)] and CCK-A antagonists [devazepide (0.001-1 mg/kg SC) and lorglumide (0.01-1 mg/kg SC)]. None of these drugs induced the expected behavioural effects, i.e. an anxiolytic-like release of the behavioural suppression with CCK-B and, possibly, CCK-A antagonists and/or a further reduction of lever pressing with CCK-B agonists, indicative of an anxiogenic-like potential. In contrast, the established anxiolytic lorazepam (0.06-0.25 mg/kg IP), as well as diazepam (2 mg/kg IP) and buspirone (0.25 mg/kg SC) used as positive control drugs, released the suppression of pressing for food during the period associated with the safety signal withdrawal, whereas picrotoxin (1 mg/kg IP), used as an anxiogenic control, further reduced responding during this conflict period. The present results contrast with a series of published data suggesting the involvement of CCK processes in anxiety-related behaviour in rodent models such as the elevated plus-maze or the light:dark two compartment test, and in panic disorders in humans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗