Ethanol-stress interaction on dopamine metabolism in the medial prefrontal cortex.
The effect of foot-shock and ethanol (2 g/kg per os) and the combination of the two on dopamine (DA) metabolism in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) was studied in rats. Electric foot-shock stress (20 min stimulation) decreased DA concentration by 30% and increased dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) concentration by 65%. Ethanol (2 g/kg orally) decreased DA concentration by 20%, but, unlike foot-shock, failed to modify DOPAC levels. Neither treatments modified homovanillic acid (HVA) levels. The combination of ethanol (30 min before shock) and foot-shock produced about a 50% depletion of DA content and 30% increase in HVA, but no change in DOPAC levels. It is suggested that both ethanol and foot-shock activate DA release in the MPFC, but ethanol decreases DA retrieval by nerve terminals and, therefore, prevents intraneuronal deamination of the amine.
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004597:Electroshock; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*
D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D000431:Ethanol; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid