title: Attenuation and recovery of evoked overflow of striatal serotonin in rats treated with neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine.
abstract: Repeated administration of methamphetamine to animals can lead to long-lasting decreases in striatal monoamine content. In the present study, the effects of neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine on basal and evoked overflow of striatal serotonin and of its primary metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were examined in awake rats using in vivo microdialysis. Male Fischer-344 rats were administered methamphetamine (5 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline four times in 1 day at 2-h intervals. Microdialysis studies were carried out 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months later. At 1 week posttreatment there were significant decreases in potassium- and amphetamine-evoked overflow of serotonin in the striatum of the methamphetamine-treated animals. Basal extracellular levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid but not of serotonin were also decreased. Evoked overflow of serotonin recovered by 1 month, and extracellular levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid had recovered by 6 months. Tissue levels of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were decreased at 1 week posttreatment but back to control levels by 1 month after treatment. These results indicate that presynaptic serotonergic functioning is attenuated in the striatum of rats treated 1 week earlier with neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine. However, in the model used, the changes are transient, and recovery can occur within 1-6 months posttreatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington 40536-0298, USA. wacass1@pop.uky.edu
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Cass
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017551:Microdialysis; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009498:Neurotoxins; D012701:Serotonin; D008694:Methamphetamine; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D000661:Amphetamine; D011188:Potassium