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Background/aims: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a serious neuropsychiatric complication of chronic liver disease. Brain monoamines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of HE. We examined the relationship between monoamine dysfunction and the degree of portal-systemic shunting (PSS) in rats with varying degrees of PSS., Methods: Concentrations of catecholamines, serotonin, histamine, precursors and metabolites in frontal cortex of rats with varying degrees of PSS (9-99.8%) were measured by HPLC., Results: The concentrations of the serotonin precursor, tryptophan, and its metabolite, 5-HIAA were increased up to 4-fold in brains of rats with various degrees of PSS and were significantly correlated with the degree of shunting and with arterial ammonia levels. Brain levels of histamine, its precursor, l-histidine, and metabolite, tele-methylhistamine were significantly increased only following total shunting. Concentrations of catecholamines and their metabolites were not significantly correlated with degree of PSS or hyperammonemia., Conclusions: Given the established role of the serotonin system in the regulation of sleep, circadian rhythmicity and locomotion these findings suggest that selective alterations of this system could be implicated in the pathogenesis of HE. Therapeutic approaches aimed at the normalization of serotonin turnover could be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of early neuropsychiatric symptoms of HE.

The effect of the local anesthetics, tetracaine and bupivacaine, on monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity of rat brain and on the major steps of catecholamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) turnover was examined. The IC50 of tetracaine for MAO-A and MAO-B inhibition was 1.2 microM and 19.5 microM, respectively. Up to 2.5 mM bupivacaine was without effect on either form of MAO. None of the following activities in rat brain or adrenal medulla were inhibited by 5-2500 microM of tetracaine or bupivacaine: catecholamine-O-methyltransferase, tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. Tetracaine caused only a moderately potent inhibition of synaptosomal uptake of norepinephrine (NE) (IC50 14 microM), dopamine (IC50 37 microM) and 5-HT (IC50 45 microM). The potent and specific MAO inhibition by tetracaine, in association with an impaired uptake of synaptosomal amines, may lead to an increase in the synaptosomal content of neurotransmitter amines, such as 5-HT and NE, with possible antinociceptive consequences.

Abstract: 6β/7β-Methyl-2-methoxycarbonyltropinones (3a, 3b) were synthesized and used as starting materials in the synthesis of 6β/7β-methyl-2β-methoxycarbonyl-3β-phenyltropanes (6a, 6b), 6β/7β-methyl-2β-methoxycarbonyl-3β-(4-iodo)phenyltropanes (7a, 7b) and 6β-methyl-2β-methoxycarbonyl-3β-(4-iodo)phenylnortropane (8). The effect of 6/7-groups was evaluated by in vitro receptor binding to dopamine (DAT), serotonin (SERT) and norepinephrine (NET) transporters. Introduction of a methyl group at the 6- or 7-position diminished the overall affinity for the transporters, though mostly to NET. In vivo locomotor tests were performed in mice for compounds 7a and 8. Compound 8 had no apparent effect on locomotor activity. Compound 7a increased locomotion in a wide dose range, but was much less potent than a reference compound, 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodo)phenyl-tropane (β-CIT). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]