Effect of interferon-alpha on tyrosine hydroxylase and catecholamine levels in the brain of rats.
We investigated the effect of interferon on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and catecholamine levels in the brains of 12-week-old male Wistar rats. Interferon-alpha (300,000 IU/kg/day, s.c.) was administered to rats for 7 days. Locomotor activity of interferon-alpha-treated rats was significantly lower than that of control rats. Norepinephrine and dopamine levels and TH activities in the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and medulla oblongata of interferon-alpha-treated rats were significantly higher than those of control rats. Norepinephrine and dopamine levels and TH activities in the thalamus and hippocampus were not different between interferon-alpha treated and control rats. These results suggest that interferon-alpha-induced depression may be related to change in the catecholamine synthetic pathway in the central nervous system.
Kumai
T
T
Department of Pharmacology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki, 216-8511 Japan. yakuri@marianna-u.ac.jp
Tateishi
T
T
Tanaka
M
M
Watanabe
M
M
Shimizu
H
H
Kobayashi
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
D002395:Catecholamines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase