title: Chronic propranolol treatment in developing rats: acute and lasting effects on monoamines and beta-adrenergic receptors in the rat brain.
abstract: During early postnatal development rat pups were treated twice daily with the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol (15 mg/kg) in order to study the acute and long-lasting effects of early blockade of noradrenergic beta-mediated neurotransmission. Treatments from postnatal days 1-10 or days 11-20 did not induce alterations in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors as measured three days after the last injection, nor could lasting effects be shown at 60 days of age. The day 1-10 treatment, however, had a significant effect on the regional brain levels of noradrenaline (NA) and its metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), measured 90 min after the last injection. The metabolite had increased by 40% in all brain regions examined. On day 60, the MHPG concentrations were still increased when compared to postnatally saline-treated animals. Propranolol treatment from day 11-20 only marginally increased MHPG on day 20 and induced no lasting differences. These results suggest that propranolol treatment during the first ten days of life produces a long-lasting increase in NA metabolism, possibly reflecting an increased neuronal NA turnover.
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Erdtsieck-Ernste
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Feenstra
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Boer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Galen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005123:Eye / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D011433:Propranolol