title: Effects of palmatine on motor activity and the concentration of central monoamines and its metabolites in rats.
abstract: We used behavioral and biochemical methods to investigate the sedative effect of palmatine on locomotor activity and the concentration of monoamine in rats. It was found that palmatine enhanced the hypomotility induced by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, reserpine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, but reduced the hypermotility produced by L-dopa plus benserazide and p-chlorophenylalanine. Furthermore, palmatine significantly decreased the concentration of dopamine and homovanillic acid in the cortex and the concentration of serotonin in the brain stem, and it increased the concentration of 5-HT in the cortex and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid in the brain stem. These results suggest that the sedative mechanism of palmatine may be related to the decrease in the concentration of catecholamine in the cortex and serotonin in brain stem and the increase in the concentration of 5-HT in the cortex.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Medical College, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001545:Benserazide / Q000494:pharmacology; D001600:Berberine Alkaloids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine
chemical_list: D001600:Berberine Alkaloids; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D012701:Serotonin; D007980:Levodopa; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine; D001545:Benserazide; D012110:Reserpine; D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan; C005413:palmatine; D010134:Fenclonine; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid