title: Citicoline treatment increases retinal dopamine content in rabbits.
abstract: Citicoline (exogenous cytidine-5'-diphosphocholine) was reported to enhance dopaminergic neurotransmission in the brain. A few clinical studies showed beneficial effects of this drug on the function of the visual pathway in patients with glaucoma or amblyopia. The present study was aimed at determining whether citicoline could influence retinal catecholamine levels in adult male Albino rabbits. The animals received the drug (50 mg/kg i.p., twice daily) or vehicle for 7 days, and retinal catecholamine concentrations were determined by HPLC. Compared to vehicle-treated controls, citicoline-treated animals displayed a significantly higher retinal dopamine concentration and a tendency toward an increase in adrenaline concentration, while the noradrenaline concentration remained unchanged. It is, therefore, conceivable that citicoline reinforces dopaminergic transmission in the retina.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rejdak
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toczołowski
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Solski
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duma
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grieb
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine