title: Isoniazid-induced inhibition of GABAergic transmission enhances neurosteroid content in the rat brain.
abstract: Isoniazid (375 mg/kg, s.c.), a drug that decreases GABAA receptor-mediated transmission, elicited a time-dependent increase of neuroactive steroid (pregnenolone, progesterone and allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone) concentrations in rat brain and plasma. This treatment also time-dependently increased the plasma concentration of corticosterone. Brain and plasma neuroactive steroid levels peaked between 40 and 120 min after isoniazid administration, respectively, and returned to control values by 5 hr. Acute foot shock stress mimicked the effect of isoniazid by increasing in a time-dependent manner the same neuroactive steroids both in brain and plasma. Abecarnil (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.), a beta-carboline derivative with anxiolytic properties, antagonized the effect of both isoniazid and foot shock on brain and plasma neuroactive steroids and on plasma corticosterone level. These data indicate that an inhibition of central GABAergic transmission enhances the concentrations of THDOC and its precursors pregnenolone and progesterone in the rat brain and plasma as well as the plasma levels of corticosterone. This finding suggests that GABA exerts a tonic inhibitory action on the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the synthesis and release of these neuroactive steroids in the central nervous system and plasma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barbaccia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roscetti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trabucchi
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mostallino
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Concas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biggio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004597:Electroshock; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D011284:Pregnenolone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013256:Steroids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002243:Carbolines; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D013256:Steroids; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; C009413:tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D011284:Pregnenolone; C062769:abecarnil; D007538:Isoniazid