title: Behavioral syndrome induced by allylnitrile, crotononitrile or 2-pentenenitrile in rats.
abstract: A single oral administration of allylnitrile, crotononitrile or 2-pentenenitrile in rats induced behavioral abnormalities, such as head-twitching, head weaving, hindlimb abduction, backward pedaling and pivoting. The head-twitching, which was most consistently observed, was suppressed by serotonin (5-HT) antagonists, cyproheptadine or methysergide or by the 5-HT depleter, dl-p-chlorophenylalanine but was accentuated by the 5-HT releaser, dl-p-chloroamphetamine. The results suggest that the 5-HT system is involved in producing the behavioral abnormalities. To discover the effects of allylnitrile, crotononitrile and 2-pentenenitrile on the metabolism of 5-HT and dopamine, 6 areas of the brain of the rat were examined on days 1, 6, 15 and 30 after injection. Each of the nitriles caused significant increases in the level of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and in the ratio of 5-HIAA/5-HT, one day after injection. The increase in 5-HIAA was most remarkable, suggesting an enhancement of the serotonergic system. The three nitriles had no effect on the metabolism of dopamine, over a period of 30 days.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanii
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003533:Cyproheptadine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008784:Methysergide / Q000494:pharmacology; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009570:Nitriles; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; C062712:2-pentenenitrile; D003533:Cyproheptadine; D012701:Serotonin; C031103:crotononitrile; C015660:allyl cyanide; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine; D010134:Fenclonine; D008784:Methysergide