Monoaminergic changes in locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe nucleus following noradrenaline depletion

Neurochem Res. 2009 Aug;34(8):1417-26. doi: 10.1007/s11064-009-9928-5. Epub 2009 Feb 20.

Abstract

The goal of our study was to assess the monoaminergic changes in locus coeruleus (LC) and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) following noradrenaline (NA) depletion. Seven days after a single N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4) intraperitoneal administration in mice, we observed a decrease of NA in both the LC and DRN, as well as in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HIPP). Moreover, an increase of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) was detected at LC level, while no change was found in DRN. DSP-4 also caused a significant decrease of dopamine (DA) tissue content in HIPP and DRN, without affecting the LC and the PFC. A decrease of DA metabolite, homovanillic acid (HVA), was found in the DRN of NA-depleted mice. These results highlight that the neurotoxic action of DSP-4 is not restricted to LC terminal projections but also involves NA depletion at the cell body level, where it is paralleled by adaptive changes in both serotonergic and dopaminergic systems.

MeSH terms

  • 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Benzylamines / pharmacology
  • Biogenic Monoamines / metabolism*
  • Homovanillic Acid / metabolism
  • Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / metabolism
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Locus Coeruleus / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Norepinephrine / physiology*
  • Raphe Nuclei / metabolism*

Substances

  • Benzylamines
  • Biogenic Monoamines
  • Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors
  • 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid
  • Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
  • DSP 4
  • Norepinephrine
  • Homovanillic Acid