Neurochemical correlates of ethanol withdrawal: alterations in serotoninergic function
- 1 September 1977
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
- Vol. 29 (1), 471-476
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-7158.1977.tb11371.x
Abstract
Cessation of chronic ethanol administration, and elimination of ethanol from the body, results in a withdrawal syndrome in mice characterized by behavioural symptoms and hypothermia. During withdrawal, the accumulation rate of [14C] 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) from [14C]tryptophan, was significantly lower in the brainstem of the ethanol-withdrawn animals than in controls. A similar pattern was seen in forebrain. When the rate of 5-HT accumulation was determined using pargyline, no differences occurred between control and ethanol-treated animals. The endogenous concentrations of tryptophan in plasma, and tryptophan, 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in brain were the same in ethanol-treated and control animals. It is suggested that the changes in accumulation of 14C-5-HT and 14C-5-HIAA in ethanol-withdrawn animals reflected alterations in electrical activity of serotoninergic neurons during withdrawal.This publication has 29 references indexed in Scilit:
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