title: Effect of p-nitromethylamphetamine on biogenic amines and their amino-acid precursors in rat brain.
abstract: 1. Low doses of p-nitromethylamphetamine caused small increases in the concentrations of brain noradrenaline and dopamine in the rat; a dose of 60 mg/kg however, caused a decrease in the concentrations of both amines. p-Nitromethylamphetamine caused behavioural hyperexcitability only at doses which approximated to half the LD50 (68 mg/kg).2. p-Nitromethylamphetamine potentiated the action of 4,alpha-dimethyl-m-tyramine in depleting brain noradrenaline. This suggests that it may affect brain noradrenaline concentrations by utilizing a reserpine resistant uptake mechanism.3. p-Nitromethylamphetamine decreased the concentration of brain 5-hydroxytryptamine.4. Changes in the blood and brain concentrations of tyrosine and gamma-amino-n-butyric acid concentration in the brain could not be correlated with the changes in brain amines. However, a rise in the concentration of brain tryptophan appeared to be correlated with the fall in brain 5-hydroxytryptamine.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000613:Aminobutyrates / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D014439:Tyramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000613:Aminobutyrates; D001679:Biogenic Amines; D002395:Catecholamines; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D012701:Serotonin; D014443:Tyrosine; C002724:4-nitromethylamphetamine; D008694:Methamphetamine; D014364:Tryptophan; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D014439:Tyramine