title: Effect of vinpocetine on noradrenergic neurons in rat locus coeruleus.
abstract: Conventional extracellular single unit recordings were used to investigate the effect of vinpocetine on locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. Vinpocetine produced a significant and dose-dependent increase in the firing rate of locus coeruleus neurons (ED30 = 0.75 mg/kg i.v.) up to 1 mg/kg i.v., followed by a complete blockade of spiking activity at doses higher than this. The effective dose range was in very good agreement with the dose range corresponding to the memory-enhancing effects of the compound. Our results supplied direct electrophysiological evidence that vinpocetine increases the activity of ascending noradrenergic pathways. This effect can be related to the cognitive-enhancing characteristics of the compound.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Chemical Works of Gedeon Richter Ltd., Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaál
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Molnár
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013566:Sympathomimetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014748:Vinca Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013566:Sympathomimetics; D014748:Vinca Alkaloids; C013983:vinpocetine; D009638:Norepinephrine