title: High potassium-induced, calcium-dependent monoamine release from brain slices of the newborn rat.
abstract: To determine the functional significance of monoamines taken up into the newborn rat brain, a high K+-induced, Ca2+-dependent release of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA) or serotonin (5-HT) from brain slices of the newborn rat was investigated and compared with that of the adult animal. Depolarization by increasing the potassium concentration in the medium induced the release of L-[3H]NA,[3H]DA or [3H]5-HT from brain slices prelabelled with the radioactive monoamines in the 2-day- or 3-day-old rat as well as in the adult. The release of three [3H]amines was markedly inhibited by perfusing with Ca2+- free medium in the presence of EGTA (2.0 mM) at both newborn and adult stages, although the inhibitory potency of Ca2+- deficiency in the newborn preparation was lower than in the adult. The degree of the release against [3H]amines initially taken up in the newborn was of the same order of magnitude as those in the adult. It is suggested that NA, DA and 5-HT are stored in a functionally releasable pool of the nerve terminals of the central monoamine neurons in the rat and that these compounds act as neurotransmitters at birth and at the adult stage.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001679:Biogenic Amines; D012701:Serotonin; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine