Monoamine levels after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in hippocampus and frontal cortex of Wistar rats.
Pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) is an useful model to study the involvement of neurotransmitter systems as epileptogenesis modulators. Some researches have shown that pharmacological manipulations in dopaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic systems alter the occurrence of pilocarpine-induced SE. The control group was treated with 0.9% saline (control group, s.c.). Another group of rats received pilocarpine (400mg/kg, s.c.) and both groups were sacrificed 24 h after the treatment. This work was performed to determine the alterations in monoamine levels (dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE)) and their metabolites (3,4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanilic acid (HVA), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)) after pilocarpine-induced SE in hippocampus and frontal cortex of adult rats. The monoamines and their metabolites were determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. DA and 5-HIAA concentrations were not altered in the hippocampus of the pilocarpine group, but in the same group the 5-HT (160%), DOPAC (316%) and HVA (21%) levels increased, whereas, the NE (47%) content declined. For the frontal cortex determinations, there was an increase of 20 and 72% in DA and DOPAC levels, respectively, and a decrease in NE (32%), 5-HT (33%) and 5-HIAA (19%) concentrations, but HVA content remained unaltered. These results indicate that pilocarpine-induced SE can alter monoamine levels in different ways depending on the brain area studied, suggesting that different mechanisms are involved.
Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Rua Cel. Nunes de Melo 1127, Fortaleza 60431-970, CE, Brazil. rivmendes@bol.com.br
R M
RM
Freitas
S M M
SM
Vasconcelos
F C F
FC
Souza
G S B
GS
Viana
M M F
MM
Fonteles
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010862:Pilocarpine; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*
D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D010862:Pilocarpine