Abstract
dl-amphetamine sulphate (2 mg/kg) and nicotine (0.2 mg/kg) showed a facilitatory action on the acquisition of a conditioned response in a shuttle-box by rats and this was reversed by pretreatment with α-MT (30 mg/kg).
Pretreatment with dibenamine (10 mg/kg) impaired the action either of amphetamine or nicotine. Nethalide (5–10 mg/kg) exerted a partial protection on the depressant effect produced by the interaction between dibenamine and nicotine.
Animals treated with α-MT (30 mg/kg) and kept in the cold (4–6° C for 3 h) also showed a depressed learning capacity.
dl-Dopa (200 mg/kg) provided a partial protection on the depressive effects caused by the interaction of α-MT with amphetamine, nicotine or cold. It is suggested that the facilitatory learning action of amphetamine and nicotine involves a common adrenergic mechanism. The depressant effects of amphetamine, nicotine or cold after α-MT treatment are attributed to depletion of “functional pools” of catecholamines.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armitage, A. K., Hall, G. H., Sellers, C. M.: Effects of nicotine on electrocortical activity and acetylcholine release from the cat cerebral cortex. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 35, 152–160 (1969).
Beaton, J. M., Crow, T. J.: The effect of noradrenaline synthesis inhibition on motor activity and lever pressing for food and water in the rat. Life Sci. 8, 1129–1134 (1969).
Bovet, D., Gatti, G. L., Franck, M.: An automatic device for the study of conditioned escape reaction in the rat. Sci. Rep. ist. Super. Sanità 1, 127–138 (1961).
—, Bignami, G., Robustelli, F.: Action de la nicotine sur le conditionnement a la réaction d'évitement chez le rat. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 256, 778–780 (1963).
—, Bovet-Nitti, F.: Action of nicotine on conditioned behaviour on naive and pretrained rats. In: Tobacco Alkaloids and Related Compounds, pp. 125–142. Ed. by U. S. von Euler. Oxford: Pergamon Press 1965.
— —, Oliverio, A.: Effects of nicotine on avoidance conditioning of inbred strains of mice. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 10, 1–5 (1966).
Bovet-Nitti, F.: Facilitation of simultaneous visual discrimination by nicotine in the rat. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 10, 59–66 (1966).
Burn, J. H.: The action of nicotine on the peripheral circulation. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 90, 81–84 (1960).
—, Rand, M. J.: Sympathetic postganglionic mechanism. Nature (Lond.) 184, 163–165 (1959).
Campos, A. H.: Problemas interrelacionales de varios mediadores químicos cerebrales. Comunication to the V∘ Congreso Farmacéutico y Bioquímico Argentino, Córdoba 1969.
Dingell, J. V., Owens, M. L., Norvich, M. R., Sulsen, F.: On the role of norepinephrine biosynthesis in the central action of amphetamine. Life Sci. 6, 1155–1162 (1967).
Dominic, J. A., Moore, K. E.: Acute effects of α-methyltyrosine on brain catecholamine levels and on spontaneous and amphetamine-stimuled motor activity in mice. Arch. int. Pharmacodyn. 17, 166–176 (1969).
Doty, B., Doty, L.: Facilitation effects of amphetamine on avoidance conditioning in relation to age and problem difficulty. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 9, 234–241 (1966).
Euler, U. S. von, Lishajko, F.: The estimation of catecholamines in the urine. Acta physiol. scand. 45, 122–132 (1959).
Goodman, L. S., Gilman, A.: The pharmacological basis of therapeutics, 3rd Edition. New York: The MacMillan Comp. 1965.
Gordon, R., Spector, S., Sjoerdsma, A., Udenfriend, S.: Increased synthesis of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the intact rat during exercise and exposure to cold. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 153, 440–446 (1966).
Guimâres, S.: Reversal by pronethalol of dibenamine blockade: a study on the seminal vesicle of the guinea pig. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 36, 594–601 (1969).
Hanson, L. C. F.: The disruption of conditioned avoidance response following selective depletion of brain catechol amines. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 8, 100–110 (1965).
—: Evidence that the central action of amphetamine is mediated via catecholamines. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 9, 78–80 (1966).
—: Biochemical and behavioural effects of tyrosine-hydroxylase inhibition. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 11, 8–17 (1967).
Jouvet, M.: Biogenic amines and the states of sleep. Science 163, 32–41 (1969).
Kelemen, K., Bovet, D.: Effects of drugs upon the defensive behavior of rats. Acta physiol. Acad. Sci. hung. 19, 143–154 (1961).
Kopin, I. J.: False adrenergic transmitters. Ann. Rev. Pharmacol. 8, 377–394 (1968).
Latz, A., Goldman, M., Kornetsky, C.: Maze learning after the administration of antidepressant drugs. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 156, 76–84 (1966).
Moore, K. E.: Effects of α-methyltyrosine on brain catecholamines and conditioned behaviour in guinea pig. Life Sci. 5, 55–65 (1966).
Oliverio, A.: Effects of mecamylamine on avoidance conditioning and maze learning of mice. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 154, 350–356 (1966).
Patil, P. N., Tye, A., May, C., Hetey, S., Miyagi, S.: Steric aspects of adrenergic drugs. XI. Interactions of dibenamine and β-adrenergic blockers. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 163, 309–319 (1968).
Schoenfeld, R. I., Seiden, L. S.: Effect of α-methyltyrosine on operant behavior and brain catecholamine levels. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 167, 319–326 (1969).
Weissman, A., Koe, B. K.: Behavioral effects of l-α-methyltyrosine, an inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase. Life Sci. 4, 1037–1048 (1965).
—, Koe, B. K., Tenen, S. S.: Antiamphetamine effects following inhibition of tyrosine-hydroxylase. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 151, 339–352 (1966).
Westfall, T. C., Fleming, R. M., Fudger, M. F., Clark, W. G.: Effect of nicotine and related substances upon amine levels in the brain. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 142, 83–100 (1967).
Wise, C. D., Stein, L.: Facilitation of brain self-stimulation by central administration of norepinephrine. Science 163, 299–301 (1969).
Yamamoto, K., Domino, E. F.: Nicotine-induced EEG and behavioral arousal. Int. J. Neuropharmacol. 4, 359–373 (1965).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by grant N 2911/67 from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina (O. A. Orsingher).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Orsingher, O.A., Fulginiti, S. Effects of alpha-methyl tyrosine and adrenergic blocking agents on the facilitating action of amphetamine and nicotine on learning in rats. Psychopharmacologia 19, 231–240 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401939
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401939