Effects of amphetamine on hemispheric asymmetry and regional distribution of tetrahydrobiopterin in rat brain.
Hemispheric asymmetry and regional distributions of tetrahydrobiopterin under the influence of d-amphetamine has been examined using the high performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection. The results indicate that there is a natural imbalance of tetrahydrobiopterin concentration between the two striata in normal rats and amphetamine has a depressing effect on this asymmetry. In addition to confirming the previous finding based on a double-enzyme assay method that amphetamine decreased striatal tetrahydrobiopterin level, the present results suggest that amphetamine influences tetrahydrobiopterin in central serotonergic, dopaminergic as well as noradrenergic systems in a consistent way.
Lee
E H
EH
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, The Republic of China.
Mandell
A J
AJ