Effect of chronic D-fenfluramine administration on rat hypothalamic serotonin levels and release.
D-fenfluramine, an anorectic agent in rats and man, was administered daily at doses 1.25, 2.5, 5 or 10 mg/kg/day for 10 days, and sacrificed 6 days later. Hypothalamic serotonin (5-HT) levels were unchanged in rats receiving 1.25-5 mg/kg/day of d-fenfluramine but reduced by 22% (p less than 0.01) at the highest drug dose (10 mg/kg/day); hypothalamic 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) levels were reduced by 15% (p less than 0.05) or 28% (p less than 0.01) in rats receiving 5 or 10 mg/kg/day of the drug, respectively. Hypothalamic slices prepared from rats which were previously treated with any of the drug doses spontaneously released endogenous 5-HT at rates that did not differ from those of vehicle-treated rats. 5-HT released with electrical field-stimulation was unaffected by prior d-fenfluramine treatment at doses of 1.25-5 mg/kg/day, and was reduced by 20% (p less than 0.05) from slices prepared from rats which received 10 mg/kg/day. 5-HIAA efflux was also attenuated by the highest drug dose. These data indicate that chronic administration to rats of customary anorectic doses of d-fenfluramine (i.e. 0.06-1.25 mg/kg) fail to cause long-lasting reductions in brain 5-HT release.
Schaechter
J D
JD
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge.
Wurtman
R J
RJ
D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism
D005277:Fenfluramine; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D014364:Tryptophan