The influence of oxytocin on the steady-state level and accumulation of serotonin in rat brain regions.
The effects of graded amounts of centrally injected [intracerebroventricular, i.c.v.] oxytocin [OXT] have been studied on the steady-state level and pargyline-induced accumulation of serotonin [5-HT] in the hypothalamus, mesencephalon and dorsal hippocampus of rats. OXT only weakly affected the steady-state level of 5-HT. The pargyline-induced accumulation, on the other hand, was inhibited by central OXT treatment. Whereas OXT inhibited 5-HT accumulation in a dose-dependent manner in the hypothalamus, only the lowest amount of OXT was effective in the mesencephalon and the dorsal hippocampus. The data raise the possibility that an altered 5-HT metabolism is likely to have functional significance in the endocrine and behavioral effects of OXT.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000378:metabolism; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010293:Pargyline / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*
D012701:Serotonin; D010121:Oxytocin; D010293:Pargyline