Abstract
The amphetamine isomers impair the rotarod performance of rats in a dose-related manner, with (+)-amphetamine approximately four-times as potent as its (-)-isomer. At a rotation speed of 4 rpm, 60 min after i.p. administration, the TD50 values (mg/kg) were: (+)-amphetamine, 24 (21.9–26.4) and (-)-amphetamine, 96 (76.3–118.4), with the curves not deviating from parallelism. Coadministration of the peripheral cholinesterase inhibitor neostigmine salicylate (0.005 mg/kg) attenuated (+)-amphetamine neurotoxicity [30 (26.4–34.1)]. These results, in conjunction with previously reported effects of the drug on isolated nerve-muscle preparations, suggest that the muscle weakness produced by high doses of amphetamine may result from inhibition of transmission at the neuromuscular junction.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dunham, N. W., Miya, T. S.: A note on a simple apparatus for detecting neurological deficit in rats and mice. J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 46, 208–209 (1957)
Ehrich, W. E., Krumbhaar, H. B.: The effects of large doses of benzedrine sulfate in the albino rat: functional and tissue changes. Ann. Intern. Med. 10, 1874–1888 (1937)
Gerald, M. C., Hsu, S. Y.: The effects of amphetamine isomers on neuromuscular transmission. Neuropharmacology 14, 115–123 (1975)
Gericke, O. L.: Suicide by ingestion of amphetamine sulfate. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 128, 1098–1099 (1945)
Greenwood, R., Peachy, R. S.: Acute amphetamine poisoning. Br. Med. J. 1, 742–744 (1957)
Hardinge, M. G., Peterson, D. I.: The effect of forced exercise on body temperature and amphetamine toxicity. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 145, 47–51 (1964)
Höhn, R., Lasagna, L.: Effects of aggregation and temperature on amphetamine toxicity in mice. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 1, 210–220 (1960)
Innes, I. R., Nickerson, M.: Norepinephrine, epinephrine, and the sympathomimetic amines. In: The pharmacological basis of therapeutics. 5th ed., L. S. Goodman and A. Gilman, eds., pp. 477–513. New York: Macmillan 1975
Jones, B. J., Roberts, D. J.: The quantitative measurement of motor incoordination in naive mice using an accelerating rotarod. J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 20, 302–304 (1968)
Litchfield, J. T., Wilcoxon, F.: A simplified method of evaluating dose-effect experiments. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther 96, 99–113 (1949)
MacLagan, J.: Competitive neuromuscular blocking drugs. In: Neuromuscular junction. Handbook of experimental pharmacology, vol. 42, E. Zaimis, ed., pp. 421–486. Berlin: Springer-Verlag 1976
Plotnikoff, N., Reinke, D., Fitzloff, J.: Effects of stimulants on rotarod performance of mice. J. Pharm. Sci. 51, 1007–1008 (1962)
Poteliakhoff, A., Roughton, B. C.: Two cases of amphetamine poisoning. Br. Med. J. 1, 26–27 (1956)
Skau, K. A., Gerald, M. C.: Amphetamine inhibition of α-bungarotoxin binding at the mouse neuromuscular junction. Life Sci 20, 1495–1499 (1977a)
Skau, K. A., Gerald, M. C.: Curare-like effects of the amphetamine isomers on neuromuscular transmission. Neuropharmacology (in press, 1977b)
Watzman, N., Barry, H., III, Kinnard, W. J., Jr., Buckley, J. P.: Influence of certain parameters on the performance of mice on the rotarod. Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. Ther. 169, 362–374 (1967)
Weiss, B., Laties, V. G.: Enhancement of human performance by caffeine and the amphetamines. Pharmacol. Rev. 14, 1–36 (1962)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gerald, M.C., Gupta, T.K. The effects of amphetamine isomers on rotarod performance. Psychopharmacology 55, 83–86 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00432821
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00432821