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Hyperforin is one of the possible active principles mediating the antidepressant activity of Hypericum perforatum L. extracts. The ester derivative IDN 5491 (hyperforin-trimethoxybenzoate) showed antidepressant-like properties in the forced swimming test (FST) in rats, with no effect on open-field activity, when given as three intraperitoneal injections in 24 h at 3.125 and 6.25 mg/kg. The plasma concentrations of IDN 5491 were 30-50 microM, and those of hyperforin much lower but still close to those after effective doses of hyperforin-dicyclohexylammonium and Hypericum extract. This suggests that hyperforin plays a role in the antidepressant-like effect of the ester and of Hypericum extract. In vitro binding and uptake data showed that IDN 5491 is inactive on a wide panel of CNS targets at a concentration (14 microM) much higher than that measured in the brain of treated rats (0.3 microM). Like the extract, the antidepressant-like effect of IDN 5491 was blocked by (-)-sulpiride, a selective D2 receptor antagonist and by BD-1047, a selective sigma1 antagonist. Ex-vivo binding studies showed that brain sigma1 receptors are occupied after in vivo treatment with IDN 5491, possibly by an unknown metabolite or by endogenous ligand induced by hyperforin.

Neuroadaptive changes underlying repeated exposure to cocaine-induced behavioural sensitization have been related to modification in the pattern of synaptic connectivity and excitatory transmission. Remarkably, even a single exposure to abused drugs is sufficient to elicit lasting behavioural sensitization. The present study investigated whether in Sprague-Dawley rats a single, behavioural sensitizing dose of cocaine is sufficient to induce changes in the mRNA levels of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), an important protein in mediating experience-dependent plasticity and synaptic reorganization, and of glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1), a subunit of AMPA glutamate receptors, a protein that is up-regulated with repeated cocaine. Single exposure to 20, but not 10 mg/kg cocaine induced locomotor sensitization to a second injection of 10 mg/kg cocaine, observed at 24 h, 48 h and 7 days. Single dose of 20 but not 10 mg/kg cocaine 48 h before scheduled death significantly enhanced GluR1 and GAP-43 mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), both shell and core subregions, and ventral tegmental area (VTA). No changes were found in the levels of mRNA for GluR1 and GAP-43 in the frontal cortex, caudate putamen, dentate gyrus of hippocampus and basolateral nucleus of the amygdala after the single dose of 20 mg/kg cocaine. These results further strengthen the involvement of NAc and VTA in the behavioural sensitization and suggest a role of GAP-43 in the synaptic reorganization associated to drug abuse.

Rationale: (+)-HA-966, a partial agonist at the glycine/NMDA modulatory site, significantly reduced i.v. cocaine self-administration in a fixed-ratio (FR) schedule. Since this effect was observed studying only one dose of cocaine and considering the characteristic bell-shaped curve generated by cocaine in self-administration studies under FR schedules, the precise nature of the effect is not clear., Objective: To identify the nature of the effect of (+)-HA-966 on cocaine self-administration under fixed ratio (FR) and progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement., Methods: Rats were prepared with i.v. catheters and trained to self-administer cocaine. In the first experiment three doses of (+)-HA-966 (10, 30 and 100 microg/5 microl i.c.v.) were evaluated for their effects on 0.25 mg/0.1 ml per infusion cocaine self-administration on FR1 with 20-s time-out (TO). Next, 30 microg/5 microl i.c.v. (+)-HA-966 was evaluated as pretreatment on a complete dose-response for cocaine self-administration. In a third experiment the effect of the same dose was evaluated on cocaine or food self-administered on the PR schedule., Results: (+)-HA-966 at doses of 10 or 30 microg reduced cocaine self-administration in an FR1 schedule during the first hour interval of the 2-h session. This partial agonist at the glycine/NMDA modulatory site also reduced the number of injections of cocaine earned during the first hour of the session but not the final ratio reached under a PR schedule. However, under this schedule (+)-HA-966 also reduced operant responding for food reinforcement., Conclusions: (+)-HA-966 reduced responding maintained by cocaine or food. Whether (+)-HA-966 induces a general motivational rather than a performance deficit, leading to reduced responding for either cocaine and food, is unclear.

Rationale: Hyperforin has been identified as an active constituent of Hypericum perforatum but its importance in the antidepressant effect of this plant's extracts is not really known., Objective: To evaluate the antidepressant-like activity of two extracts in relation to the content of hyperforin and its plasma and whole brain concentrations, compared with a stable salt of hyperforin (dicyclohexylammonium; DCHA)., Methods: The effects of the extracts and hyperforin were evaluated in the rat forced swimming test. The specificity of the effects was demonstrated evaluating the rats' locomotor activity. Plasma and brain concentrations of hyperforin were determined by high performance liquid chromatography., Results: The 4.5% extract (but not the 0.5% extract) given as three IP injections in 24 h (3.12-6.25 mg/kg) reduced the total immobility of rats, yielding dose-related plasma concentrations of hyperforin. These concentrations were of a similar magnitude to those after hyperforin DCHA which also significantly reduced immobility when given on the basis of the hyperforin content of the 4.5% extract (0.14 and 0.28 mg/kg). However, hyperforin was undetectable in rat brain, possibly because of poor passage of the blood-brain barrier., Conclusion: These results support the view that hyperforin plays a key role in the antidepressant-like activity of Hypericum p. However, brain concentrations after effective doses are probably far from those active in vitro on the neurotransmitter mechanisms so far investigated.

Rationale: Changes in serotonin(1B) (5-HT(1B)) receptor function appear to modify the reinforcing properties of cocaine, but the direction of this effect is not completely clear. Pharmacological stimulation of 5-HT(1B) enhanced the rewarding properties of self-administered cocaine while attenuating the threshold-reducing effect of cocaine in the intracerebral brain stimulation procedure., Objective: The present study investigates how pharmacological modification of 5-HT(1B) receptor-mediated neurotransmission influence cocaine motivational properties in the conditioned place preference paradigm in rats., Methods: In separate groups of rats the motivational properties of CP 94,253, a selective 5-HT(1B) agonist, or GR 127935, a 5-HT(1B/D) receptor partial agonist, given alone or in combination, were determined. To evaluate their influence on cocaine-induced place conditioning, CP 94,253, that was found to be aversive, was given every day before each conditioning session, while GR 127935, which given alone had no effect, was administered only before cocaine conditioning sessions., Results: CP 94,253, injected IP at 2.5 and 10 (but not 0.5) mg/kg produced place aversion in the place conditioning paradigm. The aversive effect of 2.5 mg/kg CP 94,253 was completely reversed by 10 mg/kg SC GR 127935. Given before every conditioning session, CP 94,253 did not modify place conditioning by four injections of 10 mg/kg cocaine but at 2.5 mg/kg it potentiated a sub-threshold dose of cocaine. The place preference caused by these two drugs was completely reversed by 10 mg/kg GR 127935. The antagonism by GR 127935 of CP 94,253's effects was shown not to be due to the induction of state-dependent effects., Conclusion: The results suggest that stimulation of 5-HT(1B) receptors causes place aversion, and enhances the effect of low doses of cocaine in the conditioned place preference paradigm.

In this study, we evaluated the role of central 5-HT(4) receptors in the control of motor behaviors related to change of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) transmission, namely, stereotyped behavior and catalepsy in rats. Indeed, given that 5-HT(4) receptors indirectly modulate nigrostriatal DA neuron activity, we hypothesized that these receptors would regulate nigrostriatal DA transmission in the basal ganglia, and consequently, associated motor responses. Stereotypy was induced either by an acute administration of apomorphine (0.3 and 1.5 mg/kg sc), or by a single morphine administration (15 mg/kg sc) in chronically morphine-treated (15 mg/kg sc, twice daily for 10 days) rats. Catalepsy was induced by the typical neuroleptic haloperidol (HAL; 1 mg/kg sc). The selective 5-HT(4) antagonist, GR 125487 (1 mg/kg ip), modified neither apomorphine- nor morphine-induced stereotypy. HAL-induced catalepsy, while reduced by the systemic administration of the 5-HT(1A) agonist 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg/kg sc), was insensitive to GR 125487, systemically (1, 3, 10 mg/kg ip) or locally (20 and 40 nmol/20 microl) administered into the third ventricle. Also, HAL-induced catalepsy was not affected by the selective 5-HT(4) antagonist GR 113808 (3 mg/kg ip). The obtained results indicate that 5-HT(4) receptor antagonism does not modulate motor behaviors related to change of striatal DA transmission.

The synthesis, pharmacological evaluation, and structure-activity relationships (SARs) of a series of novel pyrroloquinoxalines and heteroaromatic-related derivatives are described. The new pyrroloquinoxaline-related ligands were tested in rat cortex, a tissue expressing high density of 5-HT(3) receptors, and on NG108-15 cells and exhibited IC(50) values in the low nanomolar or subnanomolar range, as measured by the inhibition of [(3)H]zacopride binding. The SAR studies detailed herein delineated a number of structural features required for improving affinity. Some of the ligands were employed as "molecular yardsticks" to probe the spatial dimensions of the lipophilic pockets L1, L2, and L3 in the 5-HT(3) receptor cleft, while the 7-OH pyrroloquinoxaline analogue was designed to investigate hydrogen bonding with a putative receptor site H1 possibly interacting with the serotonin hydroxy group. The most active pyrroloquinoxaline derivatives showed subnanomolar affinity for the 5-HT(3) receptor. In functional studies ([(14)C]guanidinium accumulation test in NG108-15 hybrid cells, in vitro) most of the tested compounds showed clear-cut 5-HT(3) agonist properties, while some others were found to be partial agonists. Several heteroaromatic systems, bearing N-substituted piperazine moieties, have been explored with respect to 5-HT(3) affinity, and novel structural leads for the development of potent and selective central 5-HT(3) receptor agonists have been identified. Preliminary pharmacokinetic studies indicate that these compounds easily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after systemic administration with a brain/plasma ratio between 2 and 20, unless they bear a highly hydrophilic group on the piperazine ring. None of the tested compounds showed in vivo anxiolytic-like activity, but potential analgesic-like properties have been possibly disclosed for this new class of 5-HT(3) receptor agonists.

The brain/plasma partition of nefazodone, hydroxynefazodone (OHNFZ) and m-chlorophenyl-piperazine (mCPP) and their antagonism of p-chloroamphetamine (PCA)-induced 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) depletion and quipazine-induced head twitches were compared in rodents. Nefazodone (30 mg kg(-1), i.p.) rapidly entered the brain but concentrations were exceeded by mCPP, the metabolic ratio being 47 and 10 in the mouse and rat respectively. OHNFZ was detectable in plasma but never in brain. Brain concentrations of OHNFZ in the mouse (30 mg kg(-1), i.p.) were less than 10% of those in plasma, confirming a poor blood-brain barrier penetration. Concentrations of its metabolite mCPP were similar to those after 5 mg kg(-1)(i.p.) mCPP. In the mouse, nefazodone (30 mg kg(-1)) antagonized the 5-HT depleting effect of PCA 2 h after dosing, when it had disappeared from brain but when mCPP concentrations were similar to those after 5 mg kg(-1) (i.p.) mCPP. However, mCPP antagonized PCA less than nefazodone. In the rat, nefazodone pretreatment (30 mg kg(-1), 15 min) prevented (97% of inhibition) quipazine-induced head twitches. The effect was weaker (65% of inhibition) but significant when only mCPP was detected in brain. Analysis of brain concentrations of the two compounds after their ED50 against quipazine indicated that both contributed to the effect, although nefazodone was more active than mCPP in terms of concentrations required to obtain a comparable reduction of twitches. These findings show that mCPP concentrates in the brain following injection of nefazodone and may play a role in preventing quipazine-induced behaviour and PCA-induced 5-HT depletion. In contrast OHNFZ poorly enters the brain and its in vivo activity is mostly due to its biotransformation to mCPP.

A balanced conditioning place preference (CPP) paradigm was used to study the role of dopamine D1 and D2 and glutamatergic NMDA and AMPA/kainate receptors on the acquisition and expression of cocaine place conditioning. The D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (0.1-0.2 mg/kg i.p.), administered before cocaine during the training phase, significantly blocked the establishment of place conditioning (acquisition) but had no effect when administered before testing for place preference in the absence of cocaine (expression). Similar results were obtained with the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (0.1-0.5 mg/kg i.p.). The D2 receptor antagonist (-)-sulpiride (50-100 mg/kg i.p.) had no effect on either acquisition or expression of cocaine CPP. The AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist DNQX, administered intracerebroventricularly (0.2-3 micrograms/10 microliters), blocked cocaine CPP when given before testing but not when given before cocaine during the training trials. The results suggest that dopaminergic D1 (but not D2) and glutamatergic NMDA receptors are involved in the primary rewarding properties of cocaine (as assessed by the establishment of CPP) whereas the AMPA/kainate receptors are important only for the behaviour elicited by the stimuli previously associated with the drug action (CPP expression). The implications for the treatment of cocaine craving and relapse are discussed.

The role of 5-HT1A receptors in the antinociceptive action of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) was investigated by using the shock titration test in rats. A subcutaneous injection of 300 micrograms/kg 8-OH-DPAT significantly raised the threshold for flinching, jumping and vocalization whereas 100 micrograms/kg only inhibited the flinch response. l-Propranolol and (+)-[N-tert-butyl-3-4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl-2-phenyl propanamide dihydrochloride], (+)-WAY100135, two antagonists at 5-HT1A receptors at 10 mg/kg s.c. antagonized the effect of 300 micrograms/kg 8-OH-DPAT on all measures. The effect of 300 micrograms/kg 8-OH-DPAT on the three measures was unmodified in rats which had received 150 micrograms 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine intracerebroventricularly 10 days before testing. The results suggest that 8-OH-DPAT inhibits nociceptive responses by stimulating postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors.

SR 57746A, 4-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-N-[2-(naphth-2-yl)ethyl]-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine HCl, was studied for its specific 5-HT1A receptor agonist action and antidepressant-like effects in the rat. The compound showed a high affinity for 5-HT1A specific binding sites in the rat hippocampus (IC50 3 nM), moderate affinity (10(-7)-10(-6) M) for dopamine D2 receptor, 5-HT uptake, 5-HT2 and alpha 1-adrenoceptor binding sites and practically no effect on binding sites of monoamine, GABAA, benzodiazepine and histamine receptors. It inhibited forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in rat hippocampal membranes at concentrations of 10(-6) and 10(-5) M. The effect of 10(-6) M SR 57746A on forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was completely antagonized by 10(-6) M (-)-propranolol. Administered per os as a three-dose course to rats, SR 57746A significantly increased struggling in the forced swimming test at doses from 0.3 to 3 mg/kg. Single doses had no such effect. The effect of a three-dose course with 1 mg/kg SR 57746A on rats' struggling was antagonized by pretreatment with 5 mg/kg i.p. metergoline, a non-selective 5-HT receptor antagonist, and by 20 mg/kg i.p. (-)-propranolol, an antagonist at 5-HT1 receptors. Three oral doses of 100 mg/kg parachlorophenylalanine, an inhibitor of 5-HT synthesis, and 100 mg/kg i.p. (+/-)-sulpiride, an antagonist at dopamine D2 receptors, also antagonized the effect of SR 57746A in the forced swimming test. The results show that SR 57746A has selectivity and high affinity for 5-HT1A receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Clonidine, administered intraperitoneally at doses of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg, produced a conditioned place preference when paired with the less preferred compartment. No preference for either compartment was found when a balanced conditioning place preference paradigm was used. Infusion of 6 micrograms/microliters 6-hydroxydopamine in the locus coeruleus, which markedly depleted noradrenaline in terminal regions, did not modify the effect of 0.05 and 0.5 mg clonidine on place preference. The effect of 0.5 mg/kg was prevented by 1 mg/kg idazoxan, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, but not by 3 mg/kg prazosin, which blocks alpha 1-adrenoceptors. Idazoxan by itself (at doses from 0.3 to 3 mg/kg) induced a conditioned place preference when paired with the less preferred side. The results suggest that clonidine has motivational properties which serve to attenuate the aversiveness of the less preferred side in a conditioned place preference paradigm. Stimulation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors postsynaptic to noradrenaline-containing neurons seems to be involved.

Administration of 2 and 5 but not 0.4 microgram/microliter 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) into the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus 10 min before the acquisition trial in a passive avoidance task significantly reduced retention latencies 24 h later. The effect of 5 micrograms 8-OH-DPAT on retention latencies was completely antagonized by 1 microgram/microliter spiroxatrine, a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, infused into the dorsal hippocampus 5 min before 8-OH-DPAT. Administered 5 min after the acquisition trial, 5 micrograms/microliters 8-OH-DPAT had no effect on retention latencies 24 h later. Administration of 5 micrograms/microliters 8-OH-DPAT into the dorsal hippocampus did not significantly change the thresholds for responses to the same electrical stimuli used in the passive avoidance task and had no antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test. The dose of 5 micrograms/microliters 8-OH-DPAT administered into the dorsal hippocampus caused anxiolytic-like effects assessed by stress-induced deficit in open field locomotor activity. The results suggest that stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal hippocampus impairs rats' performance in a passive avoidance task by interfering with memory processes or by attenuating the emotional impact of the shock through an anxiolytic action.

Sertraline, administered i.p. in single doses or as three injections in 24 h, significantly reduced the immobility of rats in the forced swimming test at 64 and 100 mumol/kg. The effect of three doses of 64 mumol/kg in 24 h was not modified in animals treated i.p. with metergoline (5 mg/kg) 3 h before testing. I.c.v. administration of 150 micrograms 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine, which depleted brain serotonin, or infusion of 6 micrograms 6-hydroxydopamine in the locus coeruleus, which markedly depleted noradrenaline in terminal regions, was also ineffective. The effect of 64 mumol/kg sertraline, once daily for 7 days, was not modified by i.c.v. 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine. The effect of three doses of 64 mumol/kg sertraline in 24 h was instead completely antagonized by 100 mg/kg sulpiride given 90 min before testing. The exact mechanism of this effect and its relevance for the favourable effects of sertraline in human depression remain to be clarified.

Clonidine, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg administered i.p. as a three-injection course but not as single doses, significantly reduced the immobility of rats in the forced swimming test. Doses of 0.1 and 0.5, administered the same way, significantly reduced activity in an open field. The effect of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg clonidine on immobility was prevented by 1 mg/kg idazoxan, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, but not by 3 mg/kg prazosin, which blocks alpha 1-adrenoceptors. An infusion of 6 micrograms/microliters 6-hydroxydopamine in the locus coeruleus, which markedly depleted noradrenaline in terminal regions, did not modify the effect of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg clonidine on immobility. Chronic treatment with 5 mg/kg i.p. desipramine or 0.1 mg/kg i.p. clonidine, twice daily for 15 days, did not modify the effect of a three-injection course with 0.1 mg/kg clonidine. It is suggested that clonidine exerts antidepressant-like effects on rats in the forced swimming test by acting on central alpha 2-adrenoceptors outside the locus coeruleus and presumably postsynaptically to noradrenaline-containing neurons. No tolerance or sensitization of the clonidine effect was found after chronic treatment with desipramine or clonidine. These findings are of significance for the effects of clonidine in subgroups of depressed patients.

The effects of sulpiride isomers injected into the nucleus accumbens on the anti-immobility activity of desipramine in rats were studied to clarify the role of dopamine receptors. (-)-Sulpiride 100 ng/0.5 microliters injected bilaterally into the nucleus accumbens 5 min before testing reduced the effect of a 7-day treatment with 10 mg/kg per day desipramine in the swimming test but 5 micrograms/0.5 microliter (+)-sulpiride injected in the same area had no effect. Fluphenazine, 5 micrograms/0.5 microliter, or 6-hydroxydopamine-induced depletion of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens also reduced the anti-immobility effect of desipramine. The data further support the hypothesis that dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens has a permissive role in the effect of desipramine in the forced swimming test.

The influence of alpha 2-adrenoceptor blockade on the activity of desipramine in an experimental model of depression was studied by using idazoxan and 1-(pyrimidinyl)piperazine (1-PP). The two drugs antagonists at these receptors, were studied for their ability to modify the effect of repeated treatment with the antidepressant, desipramine in the forced swimming test. Idazoxan (0.03, 0.3 and 3 mg/kg s.c.) and 1-PP (0.3 and 3 mg/kg p.o.) given with the last dose of a 7-day schedule of 10 mg/kg i.p. desipramine significantly reduced the effect of the latter on immobility. On its own neither drug modified the immobility time of rats at any dose. Infusion of various concentrations of idazoxan (1.6, 8 and 40 ng/microliters) in the rat locus coeruleus (LC), dose dependently antagonized the effect of desipramine without causing any appreciable change in motor behavior or immobility. The effect of idazoxan (8 ng/microliters) infusion in the LC was completely prevented by administering 6 micrograms 6-hydroxydopamine in the same region 12 days earlier. It thus appears that alpha 2-adrenoceptor blockade prevents the effect of desipramine in the forced swimming test, presumably by an effect on noradrenaline-containing cells in the LC. The question of how blockade or activation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors, both in the LC and in other sites, could influence antidepressant activity is discussed.

1-(3-Trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine (TFMPP), a serotonin1 (5-HT1) receptor agonist, injected i.p. in doses of 0.1 and 0.6 mg/kg, did not modify the immobility time of rats in the forced swimming test but significantly antagonized the effect of a 7 days treatment with 10 mg/kg per day desipramine (DMI). A similar effect was found on infusing 1 and 5 micrograms/microliters TFMPP bilaterally into the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Infusion of 5 micrograms/microliters TFMPP into the nucleus accumbens or into the globus pallidus did not modify the effect of DMI. The effect of 5 micrograms TFMPP infused into the VTA was prevented by the i.p. administration of 5 mg/kg metergoline, a non-selective serotonin receptor antagonist. Infusion of 5 micrograms/microliters 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin, a specific 5-HT1A receptor agonist, into the VTA did not modify the effect of DMI. Besides acting as a 5-HT1B receptor agonist, TFMPP may also act on other 5-HT receptor types, but available evidence suggests that its former action is more important. It thus appears that 5-HT1 receptors in the VTA, presumably of the 5-HT1B type, act by preventing the anti-immobility effect of DMI. The role of VTA dopamine and non-dopamine cells in the effect of TFMPP is discussed.

Bilateral injections of 1 microgram sulpiride in the rat nucleus accumbens antagonized the effect of a seven-day treatment with 20 mg kg-1 day-1 imipramine or amitriptyline in the swimming test. The data suggest that dopamine mechanisms in the limbic regions of the rat brain are involved in the effect of repeated treatment with imipramine and amitriptyline in that test.

The discriminative stimulus properties of d-amphetamine, cocaine, and apomorphine were assessed in rats trained in a two-lever, food-reinforced drug discrimination paradigm to discriminate 1.0 mg/kg d-amphetamine from saline. After determination of these dose-response relationships, the rats were divided into two groups. One group (6-OHDA) was given injections of desmethylimipramine (DMI, 30 mg/kg, IP) and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 100 micrograms/10 microliters each ventricle), while the other group (sham) was given the same dose of DMI and 6-OHDA vehicle (intraventricularly). Beginning approximately 45 days after intraventricular injections, dose-response relationships were redetermined for all three drugs. Larger doses of d-amphetamine were required to elicit the same response in the 6-OHDA group (i.e. the dose-response relationship was shifted to the right), while no change was observed in the sham group. Any changes in the dose-response relationships for cocaine and apomorphine were comparable in the 6-OHDA and sham group. The rate-decreasing effects were not altered in either group for any of the drugs. Upon sacrifice, dopamine (DA) was found to be significantly depleted in the accumbens, caudate and rest of brain of the 6-OHDA group. Levels of norepinephrine and serotonin were unaltered. These data suggest that central DA-containing neurons play a role in the discriminative stimulus properties of psychomotor stimulants in rats.

The regional brain synthesis of serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) was studied in rats after various doses of 5-methoxy-3(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-4-pyridinyl)-1H-indole (RU-24969), a 5-HT1 receptor agonist. The potential anxiolytic and antidepressant properties of the compound were examined as well. RU-24969 0.62 mg/kg significantly reduced 5-HT synthesis in the nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus, while with 1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg the effect was also seen in striatum, hippocampus, brainstem and cortex. RU-24969 2.5 and 5 mg/kg had no effect on DA synthesis in the striatum, while 5.0 mg/kg significantly increased it in the nucleus accumbens. At doses of 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg the drug increased the motor activity of rats measured during 1 h in activity cages while 0.625 and 1.25 mg/kg had no effect. Doses ranging from 0.62 to 2.5 mg/kg RU-24969 significantly reduced unpunished responding in a test of conditioned suppression of drinking. Doses of 1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg also reduced punished responding. Finally, of various doses only 2.5 mg/kg RU-24969 significantly reduced the duration of immobility of rats in the forced swimming test but the effects were due to running around the cylinder rather than to escape attempts. In conclusion, RU-24969 reduced 5-HT synthesis in all brain areas examined, with a preferential effect for the nucleus accumbens and the hypothalamus. At higher doses, there was also a specific increase in DA synthesis in the nucleus accumbens. The compound raised the level of activity of rats but no clear evidence of any potential anxiolytic or antidepressant properties has been obtained.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a selective serotonin1A (5-HT1A) receptor agonist, was studied for its anti-immobility activity in the forced swimming test when administered into the raphe nuclei medianus and dorsalis of rats. At concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5 micrograms, 8-OH-DPAT significantly reduced the immobility of rats when administered into the nucleus raphe dorsalis, but only 5 micrograms was effective when administered into the nucleus medianus. The activity of rats in an open-field under conditions identical to those used in the forced swimming test was not significantly changed by various concentrations of 8-OH-DPAT administered into the nucleus raphe dorsalis, but was significantly increased by an infusion of 5 micrograms 8-OH-DPAT into the nucleus raphe medianus. The effect of an infusion of 1 micrograms 8-OH-DPAT into the nucleus dorsalis was prevented by infusing 2.5 micrograms (-)-propranolol or 2.5 micrograms (-)-pindolol into the same area 5 min before 8-OH-DPAT or by treating the animals with sulpiride systemically (100 mg/kg i.p.) or centrally (in the nucleus accumbens; 1 microgram/0.5 microliter). The results suggest that 8-OH-DPAT reduces the immobility of rats by activating dopamine transmission, probably in the nucleus accumbens, as a consequence of its ability to reduce the activity of 5-HT neurons that originate in the nucleus raphe dorsalis. In view of the similarities between the effects of well-established antidepressants and 8-OH-DPAT in the forced swimming test, it is suggested that 5-HT1A receptor agonists may constitute a novel class of antidepressant agents.

Selective lesions of dopamine (DA) neurons of the nucleus accumbens were made in rats by local injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Seven days after 6-OHDA, the binding affinities and capacities at mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid binding sites were determined in the nucleus accumbens by selective labelling techniques. 6-OHDA pretreatment caused a significant increase in the number of delta-opioid binding sites (+30%) while the number of mu-, kappa- and total sites was not modified. The affinity at mu-, delta- and kappa-sites was unchanged after 6-OHDA pretreatment.

The effects of prolonged exposure to high doses of stimulants on stimulant self-administration in rhesus monkeys have not been established. In the present experiment, rates of methamphetamine self-administration as well as the effects of methamphetamine on food-maintained responding were determined before and after a regimen of repeated methamphetamine injections. Increases in self-administration of some doses of methamphetamine as well as tolerance to the rate-decreasing effects of the drug on food-maintained responding were observed following the repeated injection regimen. The results suggest that while tolerance may develop to the rate-decreasing effects of the drug, there may be an increased sensitivity to its reinforcing properties. In addition, since this injection regimen has been shown in previous studies to deplete central monoamines, especially dopamine, the results suggest a role for these monoamines in these behavioral effects of methamphetamine.

Buspirone, a drug with high affinity for serotonin1A receptors, was studied for its ability to reduce rats' immobility in the forced swimming test when injected systemically or into the nucleus raphe dorsalis (DR). Between 0.1 and 10 mg/kg buspirone had no effect on rats' immobility when injected systemically as a single dose or as a 3-injection course during 24 hours. Direct injection of 1 and 5 mu/0.5 microliter buspirone in the DR significantly reduced the duration of immobility without changing rats' activity in an open field. The anti-immobility effect of 1 microgram/0.5 microliter buspirone in the DR was completely prevented by injecting 2.5 micrograms (-)-propranolol in the same area. Oral administration of 0.3-1.0 mg/kg 1-(2-pyrimidinyl)piperazine (1-PP), one of the main metabolites of buspirone, and 0.3-3.0 mg/kg s.c. idazoxan, two substances with alpha 2 adrenergic blocking properties, completely antagonized the effect of 0.25 mg/kg s.c. 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), an agent with selective affinity for serotonin1A receptors. The anti-immobility effect of an infusion of 1 microgram/0.5 microliter buspirone or 8-OH-DPAT in the DR was also antagonized by 1 mg/kg p.o. 1-PP. The results suggest that buspirone possesses potential antidepressant properties but its effects may be masked in certain tests by its metabolite, 1PP, through its alpha 2 adrenergic blocking activity.

The role of mu opioid receptors in the nucleus raphe dorsalis (DR) in the control of apomorphine-induced aggression was studied in rats. Administration in the DR of a selective mu opioid receptor agonist, (D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol)-enkephalin (DAGO), in doses ranging from 0.01 to 1 microgram/0.5 microliter, dose-dependently reduced aggression caused by apomorphine 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally. 0.01 microgram DAGO significantly reduced the time spent by the animals in aggressive posture and 0.1 and 1 microgram markedly reduced both aggressive postures and attacks. 5 micrograms (in 0.5 microliter) naloxone in the DR completely antagonized the anti-aggressive effect of DAGO (0.1 microgram/0.5 microliter) injected in the same area. 0.1 and 1 microgram but not 0.01 microgram DAGO significantly increased serotonin (5-HT) metabolism in the striatum, a terminal area almost exclusively innervated by DR, indicating that the activity of 5-HT cells in the DR was modified by DAGO. In animals given 6 micrograms/3 microliters 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine in the DR 11 days before, in which striatal 5-HT levels were markedly depleted, no significant changes were found in the time spent by the apomorphine-treated animals in aggressive postures, numbers of attacks or anti-aggressive effect of 0.1 and 1 microgram DAGO administered in the DR. The study shows for the first time that activation of mu opioid receptors in the DR has a powerful anti-aggressive effect in one model of experimental aggression by a mechanism apparently not involving changes in the activity of 5-HT cells in this area.