6-hydroxydopa during development of central adrenergic neurons produces different long-term changes in rat brain noradrenaline.
6-hydroxydopa (6-OH-DOPA) administered to rats during their early development produces long-term modifications in the content of brain noradrenaline (NA) which have regional differences. An increase in brain stem NA is observed when the rats are exposed to the drug between the day 14 of gestation and the 9th postnatal day. When 6-OH-DOPA is injected subcutaneously on the 13th postnatal day or later, there is a decrease in brain stem NA. On the other hand, the content of NA in the telediencephalon is depleted for the first time in rats exposed to the drug during the day 16 of gestation, the decrease is more evident when the injection is done on days 17 or 18 and the effect is also marked when the drug is administered in the period between the day of birth and the 20th day of age. These results indicate that 6-OH-DOPA exerts different effects during the process of development and that the increase in brain stem NA is not solely dependent on the depletion produced in the forebrain because both phenomena are temporally dissociated. The adrenergic neurons injured by the drug, most probably respond in such a way that leads to an increase in brain stem NA only during the period in which they are under the influence of the factors controlling their physiologic development.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000032:analysis; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004027:Diencephalon / Q000032:analysis; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000032:analysis
D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D009638:Norepinephrine