Persistence of tolerance to methamphetamine-induced monoamine deficits.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive and potent stimulant, the use of which has increased significantly in recent years. In addition to the severe behavioral and societal consequences associated with methamphetamine abuse, methamphetamine can cause persistent damage to monoaminergic nerve terminals in rats, as measured by either monoamine concentrations or activity of the rate limiting synthetic enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase. Repeated, sub-neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine, however, can cause rats to become resistant to the neurotoxic effects of multiple high-dose administrations of methamphetamine; a phenomenon known as tolerance. This study investigates the persistence of tolerance evoked by pretreatment with escalating-dose administrations of methamphetamine. Rats were pretreated over several days with low, escalating doses of methamphetamine, followed by high-dose methamphetamine challenge after variable recovery periods. Results revealed that tolerance to monoaminergic deficits persisted for at least one week, but was completely eliminated by 31 days. There were no differences in the distribution of methamphetamine or its major metabolite, amphetamine, between methamphetamine-pretreated animals and saline-pretreated animals 2 h after the final methamphetamine challenge injection, and there were no regional differences in methamphetamine concentrations between the frontal cortex, hippocampus or striatum. We also observed that while methamphetamine pretreatment attenuated the hyperthermia caused by the high-dose methamphetamine challenge, significant reductions in methamphetamine-induced hyperthermia were not required for the development of tolerance with this regimen.
Danaceau
Jonathan P
JP
Center for Human Toxicology, University of Utah, UT 84112, USA. jondanaceau@hotmail.com
Deering
Cassandra E
CE
Day
Jayme E
JE
Smeal
Stacy J
SJ
Johnson-Davis
Kamisha L
KL
Fleckenstein
Annette E
AE
Wilkins
Diana G
DG
D000662:Amphetamines / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000662:Amphetamines; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D008694:Methamphetamine