title: Phencyclidine and ketamine: comparison with the effect of cocaine on the noradrenergic neurones of the rat brain cortex.
abstract: In slices of rat occipital cortex, the influence of phencyclidine and ketamine on the accumulation of 3H-noradrenaline and the subsequent outflow of tritium was investigated, and was compared with the effect of cocaine.--All three drugs inhibited the accumulation of tritium during incubation of the slices with 3H-noradrenaline. Phencyclidine was slightly, whereas ketamine was much less effective than cocaine.--All three drugs accelerated the spontaneous outflow of tritium from slices preincubated with 3H-noradrenaline. The acceleration caused by low concentrations probably reflects an inhibition of the re-uptake of spontaneously released 3H-noradrenaline; in addition, high concentrations (10(-4) M phencyclidine, 3 X 10(-4)-10(-3) M cocaine and 10(-3)-3 X 10(-3) M ketamine) appear to release tritiated compounds from the neurones. The distance between uptake-inhibiting and releasing concentrations was much greater for cocaine than for phencyclidine and ketamine.--All three drugs enhanced the overflow of tritium evoked by electrical field stimulation. The increase probably reflects an inhibition of the re-uptake of released 3H-noradrenaline; in addition, phencyclidine appears to enhance the release of noradrenaline per pulse.--The actions of phencyclidine and ketamine on central noradrenergic neurones may contribute to the characteristic psychotropic side-effects of these general anaesthetics.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000187:drug effects; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010622:Phencyclidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013566:Sympathomimetics
chemical_list: D013566:Sympathomimetics; D007649:Ketamine; D003042:Cocaine; D010622:Phencyclidine; D009638:Norepinephrine