Stimulatory and inhibitory action of clonidine on the locomotor activity in the rat.
Clonidine depresses "motivated" but stimulates "basal" locomotor activity of normal rats. It does not affect the "dopaminergic", but inhibits "noradrenergic" locomotor stimulation produced by intraventricularly administered L-dopa methyl ester to nialamide-pretreated rats, although it does not affect the brain norepinephrine accumulation observed after administration of the dopa derivative. The importance of experimental protocol and the possible mechanism of "antiadrenergic" action of clonidine are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D001259:Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003000:Clonidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006815:Hunger; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009526:Nialamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D014202:Tremor / Q000139:chemically induced
D007980:Levodopa; D003000:Clonidine; D009526:Nialamide; D009638:Norepinephrine