title: Neuroendocrine and neurochemical responses to novelty stress in young and old male F344 rats: effects of d-fenfluramine treatment.
abstract: To understand some of the mechanisms underlying the neuroendocrine and neurochemical changes associated with aging, we administered the serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] releaser and reuptake inhibitor d-fenfluramine (d-FEN; 0.0, 0.2, or 0.6 mg/kg/day, p.o) for 30-38 days to young (4 months) and old (22 months) F344 male rats. Rats were stressed by placement into a novel open field (OF) for 20 min before sacrifice. Control animals were sacrificed immediately upon removal from their home cage (HC). Old rats exhibited less (p < 0.05) exploratory behavior than young rats, which was not altered by treatment with d-FEN. Old HC rats also had higher (p < 0.05) basal plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and prolactin (PRL) than young HC rats. Old OF rats showed higher (p < 0.05) levels of ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) than young OF animals. A stress-induced increase in PRL secretion was not observed in old rats. Subchronic low-dose d-FEN normalized the enhanced ACTH and CORT responses of old animals to novelty. In addition to these endocrine changes, stress-induced increases in medial frontal cortex (MFC) dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) turnover also were observed. The increase in NE turnover was greater (p < 0.01) in old than in young rats. d-FEN treatment blocked the stress-induced increase in MFC NE but not MFC DA turnover in both young and old rats. These data support a role for 5-HT and/or NE in some age-related neuroendocrine perturbations and suggest that increased 5-HT neurotransmission can normalize the hyperactivation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis of old male rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Loyola University, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lorens
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D005277:Fenfluramine; D012701:Serotonin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D003345:Corticosterone