title: Sub-chronic administration of (-)-3-PPP and central dopamine receptor sensitivity changes.
abstract: The effects of sub-chronic treatment with (-)-3-PPP (8 mg/kg, s.c., b.i.d. for 21 days), a dopaminergic agent with mixed agonist/antagonist properties, were investigated by means of behavioural and in vivo biochemical methods. There was no change in basal locomotor activity and central dopamine (DA) synthesis after 24 hours withdrawal. A slight, though significant reduction of the locomotor suppressive effect and of the DA synthesis-stimulating effect of acute (-)-3-PPP challenge doses of 0.125 and 1.0 mg/kg (s.c.), respectively, were demonstrated in (-)-3-PPP-pretreated as compared to vehicle-pretreated rats. No change in either action was evident after acute challenge with 8.0 mg/kg (s.c.) of the drug. The plasma levels of (-)-3-PPP were virtually unchanged by pretreatment with active drug. The findings are discussed in terms of a modest down- and up-regulation of DA autoreceptors and postsynaptic receptors, respectively, induced by the subchronic (-)-3-PPP treatment.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008032:Limbic System / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010880:Piperidines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; C026539:preclamol