OBJECTIVETo develop an HPLC-ECD for the determination of monoamine transmitters in serum of macaque.

METHODThe analysis was carried out on a ZORBAX SB-C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) eluted with a mobile phase of methanol-water (18:82) at a flow rate of 0.9 mL x min(-1).

RESULTThe recoveries of NE, E, DA, 5-HT were 97.0%, 97.8%, 99.5%, 100.3%, RSD was 0.22%-0.93%, and the repeatability was good.

CONCLUSIONThe results prove that the method is simple, fast, accurate and can be used to determine simultaneously the concentration of monoamine transmitters in serum of macaque.

Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; blood ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Dopamine ; blood ; Electrochemistry ; methods ; Epinephrine ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Macaca ; Norepinephrine ; blood ; Premenstrual Syndrome ; blood ; Reproducibility of Results ; Serotonin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of dimethoate on the monoamine Neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA) and its metabolite (3, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, DOPAC) in the serum of rats and furthermore to explore the non-cholinergic mechanism of organophosphate induced toxicity.

METHODSGroups of rats were treated with saline and 38.9, 83.7 and 180 mg/kg dimethoate respectively and were decapitated at the different time course from 0.5 to 24 hours after the administration. The monoamines neurotransmitters were determined by the reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with the electrochemical detection.

RESULTSThe serum concentrations of DA (8.42% - 248.42% of the control), DOPAC (17.22% - 68.21% of the control) increased, according with the DM dosage and the exposure time, while the levels of NE (9.65% - 38.26% of the control) and E (11.00% - 32.62% of the control) contents decreased at the same time.

CONCLUSIONThese findings indicate that dimethoate induced toxic effects can alter the monoamine levels at the different dosage and the time exposure in the serum of rats. It suggests that some non-cholinergic mechanisms may be involved in the dimethoate intoxication.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid ; blood ; Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; blood ; Dimethoate ; toxicity ; Dopamine ; blood ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Epinephrine ; blood ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo compare therapeutic effects of acupuncture and embedding thread on depression and to probe the mechanism.

METHODSThirty-two adult SD rats, 16 females and 16 males, were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, an acupuncture group and an embedding thread group, 8 rats in each group. Separated feeding, long-term unpredictable and middle stimulation stress were used for development of depression rat model. At the same time, the treatment groups were treated for 21 days. The changes of norepinephrine (NE), 5-hydoxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) contents in the brain were detected by high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detector.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, 5-HT, NE and DA contents in the hypothalamus and hippocampus decreased significantly in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); compared with the model group, the contents of the central monoamine neurotransmitters increased in both the acupuncture group and the embedding thread group, but the embedding thread group had more obvious action in improvement of 5-HT and DA levels in the hypothalamus and DA level in the hippocampus than the acupuncture group with no significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONBoth acupuncture and embedding thread therapy are effective for the depression model rat. They play the therapeutic role through regulating central monoamine neurotransmitters.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Animals ; Biogenic Monoamines ; analysis ; Depression ; metabolism ; therapy ; Dopamine ; analysis ; Female ; Hippocampus ; chemistry ; Hypothalamus ; chemistry ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Vitamin E (VitE) on memory and brain monoaminergic neurotransmitter level in chronic episodic hypoxia (EHYP) rat.

METHODSVitE [50 IU/ (250 g.d) or 5 IU/ (250 g.d)] was given to the EHYP rat model. The memory was evaluated by the passive avoidance test and the levels of monoaminergic neurotransmitter, including norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), were determined in three different brain regions (including cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum) using high performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD).

RESULTSThe performance on passive avoidance test of EHYP rats was worse than that of controlled rats (P < 0.01). The performance of rats in two different treatment groups was better than that of EHYP rats (P < 0.05), the performance of rats in high-dose group was worse than that of rats in low-dose group (P < 0.05). Compared with controlled rats, levels of monoaminergic neurotransmitters in different brain regions of EHYP rats decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with EHYP rats, level of NE and DA in cerebral cortex and level of monoamine (NE, DA, and 5-HT) in hippocampus and striatum of low-dose treated rats were increased significantly (P < 0.05). Different with low-dose treated rats, only level of monoamine (NE, DA, and 5-HT) in striatum and level of 5-HT in hippocampus in high-dose treated rats were increased significantly (P < 0.05), as compared with the EHYP rats.

CONCLUSIONSvitE can improve memory and increase brain monoaminergic neurotransmitter of EHYP rats. Moreover, the effect of low-dose vitE is better than that of high-dose VitE.

Animals ; Avoidance Learning ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Memory ; drug effects ; Norepinephrine ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; metabolism ; Vitamin E ; pharmacology

BACKGROUND: The gastroepiploic artery is not only an alternative graft but also may be considered an important primary graft for coronary revascularization. However, the long-term patency of the gastroepiploic arterial graft is yet to be determined and the incidence of perioperative spasm and long-term patency of a coronary graft may be affected by the properties of the graft response to certain vasoactive substances. The reactivity of the gastroepiploic artery to vasoactive substances has not been studied extensively and the results of the studies are contradictory. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study was designed to test the reactivity of human gastroepiploic artery to four constrictors and four relaxants. The middle sections of the human gastroepiploic arteries were collected from the patients undergoing gastrectomy and the arterial rings with intact endothelium were suspended in organ baths for isometric tension recording. RESULT: Epinephrine, norepinephrine, and potassium chloride induced the maximum constriction to higher forces (7.0+/-1.1g, 6.6+/-0.9g, and 6.5+/-1.1g) than 5-hydroxytryptamine did (3.8+/-1.7g, p<0.05). Nitroprusside and histamine induced almost full relaxation in the gastroepiploic arteries preconstricted with norepinephrine. There was no significant difference between two relaxants regarding maximum relaxation force. Acetylcholine induced the maximum relaxation to weaker force when compared with nitroprusside and histamine (p<0.05), and isoproterenol was the weakest of the relaxants (p<0.05 compared with acetylcholine). CONCLUSION: The gastroepiploic artery has a strong capacity of endothelium-dependent relaxation which could have an important influence on long-term patency. The gastroepiploic artery exhibits a potent contractility to catecholamines and the enhanced contractility may facilitate vasospasm in the presence of high circulating levels of catecholamines. Nitroprusside, a potent relaxant in gastroepiploic artery, might be beneficial for the treatment of gastroepiploic arterial graft spasm. The gastroepiploic arterial graft with intact endothelium may respond weakly to beta-adrenoceptor agonist and 5-hydroxytryptamine.
Acetylcholine ; Baths ; Catecholamines ; Constriction ; Endothelium ; Epinephrine ; Gastrectomy ; Gastroepiploic Artery* ; Histamine ; Humans* ; Incidence ; Isoproterenol ; Nitroprusside ; Norepinephrine ; Potassium Chloride ; Relaxation ; Serotonin ; Spasm ; Transplants

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Catecholamines have an effect on sexual drive. When the sympathetic nervous system is excited, norepinephrine is released from nerve terminals, epinephrine from the adrenal glands, and dopamine in the central nervous system. Serotonin has a central inhibitory effect on sexual drive. Major adrenergic and serotoninergic innervation is found in the hippocampus. This study was performed to investigate the differences in serotonin release from rat hippocampal slices in the central nervous system in response to various catecholamines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hippocampus from the rat brain was sliced. After 30 minutes' incubation in normal buffer, the slices were incubated for 20 minutes in a buffer containing 0.1 micro M [3H]5-HT and then washed. After administration of norepinephrine (10-5M), dopamine (10-5M), or epinephrine (10-5M), the release of [3H]5-HT into the buffer was measured. The radioactivity in each buffer and tissue was counted, and the results were expressed as a percentage of the total activity. The value of released [3H]5-HT was expressed as percent of the value at 50 minutes when a steady state of [3H]5-HT release had been obtained. RESULTS: After administration of norepinephrine, dopamine, and epinephrine, the values (mean +/- SE, %) were 115.7 +/- 2.3, 136.8 +/- 10.5, 107.4 +/- 7.7 at 60 minutes and 105.8 +/- 5.5, 140.7 +/- 7.7, 94.2 +/- 6.2 at 70 minutes vs. 96.6 +/- 1.9 at 60 minutes and 89.2 +/- 2.3 at 70 minutes for the control group. The release thus was increased significantly after administration of norepinephrine and dopamine, and the effect of dopamine was more significant than that of epinephrine. CONCLUSIONS: Release of serotonin is increased by norepinephrine and dopamine. The effect of dopamine was more significant than that of epinephrine. Reciprocal increase in serotonin release after administration of catecholamines may be involved in their effect on sexual function.
Adrenal Glands ; Animals ; Brain ; Catecholamines* ; Central Nervous System ; Dopamine ; Epinephrine ; Hippocampus ; Norepinephrine ; Radioactivity ; Rats* ; Serotonin* ; Sympathetic Nervous System

The efficacy of Chinese herbal formula in treating depression has been proved in many studies. In this study, six different Kaixin San formulas were compared to investigate their effects on central monoamine neurotransmitters of chronic stress rats and against depression based on their different components in plasma, in order to discuss the efficacy-comparability relationship and the possible efficacy mechanism. The classic isolation method and the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) depression model were combined to investigate the changes in contents in hippocampus and monoamine neurotransmitters (NE, DA, 5-HT) and the components of some formulas in plasma with HPLC and UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE methods. As a result, Dingzhi Xiaowan recorded in Essential Recipes for Emergent Use Worth A Thousand significantly increased the behavioral scores, NE and 5-HT contents in hippocampus and NE, DA and 5-HT contents in cortex, with the best anti-depressant effect. Dingzhi Xiaowan recorded in Complete Records of Ancient and Modern Medical Works showed a notable increase in sucrose preference and open field score in model rats, NE content in hippocampus and NE, DA and 5-HT contents in cortex, with a certain anti anti-depressant effect. Kaixin San recorded in Ishinpo showed remarkable rise in weight of model rats. NE content in hippocampus and DA content in cortex. Puxin Decoction recorded in A Supplement to Recipes Worth A Thousand Gold showed 5-HT content in hippocampus and DA content in cortex. Kaixin San recorded in Yimenfang only showed DA content in cortex. Kaixin Wan recorded in Essential Recipes for Emergent Use Worth A Thousand did not mention the antidepressant effect. According to the results, the formulas' different anti-depressant effects may be related to the different plasma components.
Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Biogenic Monoamines ; analysis ; Brain Chemistry ; drug effects ; Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; analysis ; Norepinephrine ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; analysis ; Stress, Psychological ; metabolism

Hyperglycemia during either global or regional ischemia is widely known to be detrimental, and ischemia induced release of diverse neurotransmitters and the ensuing activation of specific postsynaptic receptors have been suggested to play a important role in the development of ischemic selective vulunerability. This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of blood glucose change on tissue concentration of some catecholamines ; dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, of the transient ischemic rat's brain, estimated by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) assay system, following transient bilateral forebrain ischemia in the rat's model subjected to 20 minutes of normothermic ischemia by two vesseles occulusion plus profound cortex, hippocampus and striatum respectively by HLPC. The concentrations of catecholamines were significantly decreased in all sampled areas in experimental groups compared with the control group(p<0.05), respectively(average decrease rate : norepinephrine 71%, dopamine 89%, serotonin 80% in frontal cortex ; norepinephrine 71%, dopamine 93%, serotonin 81% in hippocampus ; norepinephrine 33%, dopamine 35%, serotonin 78% in striatum). Dopamine was relatively decreased in concentration in frontal cortex and hippocampus, and serotonin was relatively decreased in striatum. But no statistic significancy(p>0.05) of catecholamines level between each experimental group(hyper-, hypo- and normoglycemic group) according to the change of blood sugar. The results suggested that blood glucose level did not influence the tissue concentration of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in frontl cortex, hippocampus and striatum of transient ischemic rat's brain.
Blood Glucose* ; Brain* ; Catecholamines ; Dopamine* ; Frontal Lobe* ; Hippocampus* ; Hyperglycemia ; Ischemia ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Norepinephrine* ; Prosencephalon ; Serotonin*

Effects of various peripheral vasoconstrictors on isolated porcine basilar and posterior communicating arteries(BA and PCA) were investingated and effected of flunarizine on the contractile responses were compared with those of a vasodilator, nitroglycerin. KCl elicited dose-dependent contractions in BA and PCA. 50mM KCl-induced contraction was not affected by nitroglycerin but dose-dependently inhibited by nimodipin and flunarizine in both rings. Epinephrine produced contractile response of BA and PCA in a dose-dependent fashion, but norepinephrine or phenylephrine did not cause obvious contraction by itself. Norepinephrine and phenylephrine elicited dose-dependent contractions in both rings treated with 10 -6M propranolol and the epinephrine-induced contractions were potentiated by pretreatment with propranolol, 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine contracted BA and PCA in a dose-dependent manner and the contraction of PCA was more prominent than that of BA. In PCA rings, 10(-6)M 5-hydroxytryptamine and 10 -6M orepinephrine-induced contractions were not changed by nitroglycerin but inhibited by flunarizine in a dose-dependent manner. Small doses of flunarizine inhibited gradually both drug-induced contractions and large doses(3.5 x 10(-6) and 10(-6)M) steeply inhibit ed the contractions. Then the slopes of inhibitory curves in both cases were biphasic. Above results suggest that responsibility of catecholamine in porcine brain artery is more prominent in alpha-adrenoceptors than in beta-adrenoceptors, and inhibitory effect of flunarizine on brain artery results from inhibition of calcium influx through stimulated receptor-operated calcium channel(ROC) and potential-operated calcium channel(POC) .
Arteries* ; Brain* ; Calcium ; Epinephrine ; Flunarizine* ; Histamine ; Nitroglycerin ; Norepinephrine ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Phenylephrine ; Propranolol ; Serotonin ; Vasoconstrictor Agents

Urinary excretion of catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine) was determined in student pilots during high gravitational acceleration training. A total of 20 student pilots were exposed to +6GZ for 30 seconds using human centrifuge without anti-G suit and urine samples were collected before and after +GZ load. Each urine sample was adjusted to pH 2 with hydrochloric acid and stored at -20degreeC. Urine samples were derivatized with fluorescence using Toyopak SP cartridge and concentration of urinary catecholamines was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The amount of urinary excretion of catecholamines after exposure to +6GZ was significantly increased in comparison with pre-exposure level (epinephrine, 3.02+/-1.66 to 7.62+/-3.97; norepinephrine, 1.10+/-0.36 to 2.03+/-1.09; dopamine, 3.49+/-1.76 to 5.33+/-3.21 ng/100 mg creatinine). But, there was no difference in catecholamine excretion pattern between passed trainees and failed ones who experienced G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC). These data suggest that high +GZ stress was a powerful physical and mental stimuli to all student pilots and resulted in increased excretion of catecholamines. And the cartridge derivatization method was very useful in catecholamine measurement.
Acceleration* ; Catecholamines ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Dopamine* ; Epinephrine* ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Hydrochloric Acid ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Norepinephrine* ; Unconsciousness