Abstract
Mice were pretreated with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor nialamide, and sixteen hours later the dopamine (DA) β-hydroxylase inhibitor, bis-(4-methyl 1-homopiperazinylthiocarbonyl)-disulfide (FLA-63) or the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor α-methyltyrosine methylester (H44/68) was given. At different time intervals motor activity was measured and the brain levels of noradrenaline (NA) and DA were subsequently determined. Nialamide increased both motor activity and amine levels. Chlorpromazine changed this hypermotility into a marked hypomotility. After FLA-63 the NA level was moderately reduced whereas DA remained high and motor activity was only slightly reduced. When H44/68 had been given both NA and DA levels were reduced while a definite reduction in motility could be observed. In these nialamide pretreated animals the synthesis inhibitors reduced catecholamine levels and motility much less than in normal animals. In separate experiments the degree of synthesis inhibition under the conditions described above was measured by estimation of the amount of 3H-DA and 3H-NA formed from 3H-tyrosine. It was concluded that both NA and DA are of importance in controlling motor activity.
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Svensson, T.H., Waldeck, B. On the role of brain catecholamines in motor activity: Experiments with inhibitors of synthesis and of monoamine oxidase. Psychopharmacologia 18, 357–365 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402762
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402762