Metergoline as a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist in the cerebral cortex

Abstract

In rats anaesthetized with a mixture of methoxyflurane, nitrous oxide, and oxygen, the depressant actions on the cerebral cortical neurones of iontophoretically applied 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) but not of noradrenaline, histamine, AMP, Ca²⁺, and γ-aminobutyric acid were antagonized by metergoline. These observations indicate that metergoline may be a selective 5-HT antagonist in the cerebral cortex.