title: A sensitive assay for studying dopaminergic activity in cultures of rat pituitary cells.
abstract: The dopaminergic and antidopaminergic activity of drugs is frequently assayed in pituitary cell cultures. Here we describe a modified version of the assay based on the use of pituitary cells from prepubertal female rats. Under our experimental conditions (50,000 cells well-1, 2-day culture and 2-h drug-exposure) the assay yielded high selectivity and sensitivity for drug dopaminergic activity. D2 agonistic activity of bromocriptine could be observed at a concentration as low as 10(-15) M, the antagonistic activity of haloperidol at 10(-16) M. The assay also proved reproducible and simple enough for routine screening of dopaminergic activity. The assay enabled dopaminergic agonist and antagonist activity to be revealed at very low drug concentrations. The high sensitivity of the assay could be of advantage in studying dopaminergic activity in samples containing active substances present at low concentrations or for disclosing the activity of substances with low dopaminergic potency.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Braghiroli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponzianelli
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Koppenaal
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Feo
mesh_terms: D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003533:Cyproheptadine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013134:Spiperone / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine; D001971:Bromocriptine; D003533:Cyproheptadine; D004298:Dopamine; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D006220:Haloperidol; D011388:Prolactin; D013134:Spiperone; C044846:SKF83566