title: Evidence that arcaine increases the N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced cardiovascular effects into the periaqueductal gray area of anesthetized rats.
abstract: In the present study the influence of arcaine (0.01-1 microgram/rat), an in vitro putative non-competitive antagonist of the NMDA receptors, on cardiovascular changes induced by intracerebral administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) (0.1 microgram/rat) has been evaluated. Both NMDA and arcaine were microinjected into the periaqueductal gray (PAG) area of anesthetized rats. Arcaine did not decrease NMDA-induced arterial hypertension and tachycardia, but, in a dose-related manner, increased the NMDA-induced cardiovascular effects. Moreover, treatment with arcaine was not able per se to modify arterial blood pressure and heart rate basal values. Although updated in vitro reports indicate arcaine as a blocker of the NMDA receptors by an open channel mechanism, our in vivo results, at the level of the PAG area, show this not to be true. Indeed the drug may facilitate NMDA receptor activation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, II University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maione
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berrino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pizzirusso
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leyva
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001645:Biguanides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001645:Biguanides; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C006624:arcaine; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate