Sven-Åke Persson

Acute Cyanide Intoxication and Central Transmitter Systems

In rats treated with sodium cyanide (5-20 mg/kg, ip) dopamine was dose dependently decreased in the striatum within 60 sec. One of the main metabolites of dopamine in the central nervous system, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (HVA), was decreased in striatum, olfactory tubercle, and hippocampus. However, the oxidatively deaminated metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), was not significantly altered in any of the brain regions studied. Naturally occurring levels of 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-dopa), as well as L-dopa accumulated after inhibition of the neuronal L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, increased in cyanide-treated rats. The dopamine receptor antagonist spiperone (0.05 mg/kg, ip) slightly increased the survival in acute cyanide intoxication. Sodium cyanide increased the levels of glutamine in frontal cortex and striatum at all doses studied. Glutamic acid was increased in the cerebellum, striatum, and hippocampus after sodium cyanide (5-10 mg/kg, ip). Higher doses decreased glutamic acid in the cerebellum, the frontal cortex, and the striatum. gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations were diminished at high doses in all regions studied. Cyanide increased the levels of cyclic GMP in the cerebellum. In the striatum cyclic GMP was decreased after sodium cyanide (10 and 20 mg/kg). No significant alterations in the concentrations of acetylcholine or choline were seen in the striatum of cyanide-treated rats. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine and the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine decreased the survival of mice given sodium cyanide. Acute cyanide intoxication thus produces rapid and fairly specific changes in central dopaminergic and GABA-ergic pathways.

Increased levels of nitrogen oxides and lipid peroxidation in the rat brain after soman-induced seizures

Abstract We have investigated the effect of soman-induced seizures on rat brain levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) 30 min and 24 h after intoxication. Following administration of soman (90 μg/kg s.c.), acetylcholinesterase activity was reduced to <10% of control after 30 min, whereas some de novo synthesis had occurred after 24 h. Significant increases in the LPO products malondialdehyde (MDA) and (E)-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) were seen in the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, thalamus and medulla-pons 30 min after administration. A significant increase in the brain NOx levels, suggesting an increase in NO production, was seen in the cortex after 30 min and in the hippocampus and the striatum after 24 h. No significant changes were observed in cerebellum. These data suggest the possibility that free radical reactions may be a primary cause of neuronal degeneration after soman intoxication.

Release of dopamine, GABA and EAA in rats during intrastriatal perfusion with kainic acid, NMDA and soman : a comparative microdialysis study

Abstract There is an increasing amount of experimental evidence that excitatory amino acids (EAAs) are involved in the brain lesions observed after severe intoxication with the highly toxic organophosphorus compound soman. This study was undertaken to compare the acute actions of soman, and the glutamatergic receptor agonists kainic acid and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) on striatal release of dopamine and amino acids. The neurotoxic compounds were administered in high (10 mM) concentrations by unilateral intrastriatal microdialysis perfusion in freely moving rats. During the microdialysis the animals were observed for toxic signs related to convulsion. The glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was monitored as a marker of neurotoxicity in parts of prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition in six brain regions was measured after soman perfusion in order to assess its cerebral distribution. We found that soman perfusion induced a major release of dopamine, GABA and aspartate in the striatum. Kainic acid also induced a release of dopamine and aspartate. NMDA was not as potent an inducer of striatal neurotransmitter release as soman and kainic acid. Soman and kainic acid perfusion produced convulsive behaviour in the rats. The main neurochemical event in the striatum during soman- and kainate-induced convulsions is the release of dopamine. We suggest that this major dopamine release might be as important as an increase in EAA in the cascade of pathological events leading to the brain damage in the striatum observed after soman intoxication.

The effect of LSD and 2-bromo LSD on the striatal DOPA accumulation after decarboxylase inhibition in rats

LSD and BOL (0.125-0.5 mg/kg) were equipotent in increasing the in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation in the striatum as measured by the accumulation of DOPA after inhibition of neuronal decarboxylase. However, with 2--4 mg/kg doses, the maximum effect of BOL was larger than that of LSD. LSD and BOL antagonized the apomorphine-induced decrease of DOPA accumulation, without affecting the haloperidol-induced increase. LSD like apomorphine inhibited the increase of DOPA accumulation seen after reserpine, cerebral hemisection and after gamma-butyrolactone (GBL). The effect of apomorphine in rats given GBL was blocked by haloperidol, but not by BOL and promethazine, whereas that of LSD was inhibited by haloperidol, BOL, and promethazine. These findings suggest that LSD and BOL directly affect nigro-neostriatal dopamine neurons. LSD therefore appears to be a partial agonist and BOL a pure antagonist at dopamine autoreceptors. It is proposed in addition that LSD activates and BOL blocks 5-HT receptors that control DOPA formation.

Morphine concentrations in serum, brain and cerebrospinal fluid in the rat after intravenous administration of a single dose

Morphine has been determined in serum, cerebrospinal fluid (c.s.f.) and in five brain regions in the rat after a single intravenous dose, using high performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector. In pure solution 50 pg morphine and 200 pg naloxone could be detected. Maximal concentrations of morphine were observed in serum and in most brain regions 5 min after administration of morphine. There was a rapid decline in morphine concentrations during the first 30 min, in serum and in all brain regions studied. The morphine concentration in the c.s.f. was constant for the first 30 min, but 30 min later there was a dramatic increase, suggesting that elimination through the c.s.f. could be an important way of eliminating morphine in the central nervous system.

Effect of morphine on the accumulation of DOPA after decarboxylase inhibition in the rat.

Acute systemic administration of morphine (10 mg/kg s.c.) to rats increased in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation in the striatum measured as the accumulation of DOPA after decarboxylase inhibition. DOPA accumulation reached a maximum 30-60 min after morphine. The morphine antagonist naloxone (1, 10 or 100 mg/kg s.c.) did not significantly after DOPA accumulation. However, naloxone completely antagonized the effect of morphine. The DA agonist apomorphine decreased and the DA antagonist haloperidol increased DOPA accumulation. The effect of apomorphine (0.05 mg/kg) was counteracted by morphine. Naloxone did not significantly change the accumulation of DOPA after apomorphine or after haloperidol. In rats treated with gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) or with reserpine DOPA accumulation was not altered by treatment with morphine or naloxone. However, the inhibiting effect of apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg) on the accumulation of DOPA in rats treated with reserpine was weakly counteracted by morphine (0.5 mg/kg) on the accumulation of DOPA in rats treated with reserpine was weakly counteracted by morphine (10 mg/kg s.c.). Since the effects of morphine on the apomorphine-induced inhibition of DOPA accumulation were antagonized by naloxone, we suggest that the effects on striatal DOPA accumulation produced by morphine were mediated via opioid receptors and not directly via DA receptors.

Treatment of organophosphate poisoning in pigs : antidote administration by a new binary autoinjector

The therapeutic effectiveness of a new binary autoinjector containing 500 mg HI-6 and 2 mg atropine sulphate was tested in anesthetized pigs poisoned by a lethal dose of soman i.v. (9 μg/kg per 20 min). Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of HI-6 were studied concomitantly on administration of HI-6 alone, together with atropine sulphate, or together with atropine sulphate during soman intoxication. Cardiopulmonary parameters were monitored and serum concentrations of oxime and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were measured in blood samples taken at intervals over a 6-h period postinjection. Five minutes after the start of soman infusion, mean AChE activity was decreased to 27±4.3% of baseline and signs of poisoning appeared. The antidotes, HI-6 and atropine sulphate, were then administered i.m. One minute after this injection there was a transient significant increase in AChE activity of 76±8.2% of baseline (p<0.01). It then again decreased and remained suppressed throughout the experiment. Mean respiratory rate was significantly decreased (p<0.01) to 20±3.2% of baseline after 20 min of soman infusion and remained low during the rest of the experiment. The poisoning signs were counteracted 15–20 min after antidote therapy and all pigs survived soman intoxication without ventilatory assistance. Administration of either atropine or atropine and soman had no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of HI-6 in anesthetized pigs.

Correlation between cortical EEG and striatal microdialysis in soman-intoxicated rats.

In vivo microdialysis and EEG recording have been used in order to study the combined neurochemical and electrophysiological events during intoxication with soman (o-1,2,2-trimethylpropyl methylphosphono-fluoridate), a potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), in the freely moving rat. All rats exposed to soman exhibited signs of AChE inhibition. The duration of EEG recorded seizures after soman intoxication averaged 43 +/- 24 min. The extracellular striatal levels of dopamine and GABA, increased significantly during the EEG seizure periods. Using an EEG based differentiation between seizure and non-seizure conditions, we found that intrastriatal release of dopamine, but not glutamate, during soman intoxication is highly correlated with seizures. Our results suggest that excitatory amino acids (EAA) involvement in soman-induced seizures, as demonstrated in hippocampus, may not be relevant in the striatum. Our data, instead, may indicate the importance of dopamine as a neurotoxic agent.

Effects of chlorimipramine on the synthesis and metabolism of dopamine in the rat striatum.

In the rat, chlorimipramine (7.5, 15, and 60 mg/kg IP and 15 and 60 mg/kg orally) increased the rate of the striatal in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation measured as the accumulation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) after decarboxylase inhibition. The demethylated metabolite of chlorimipramine desmethylchlorimipramine increased the DOPA accumulation only after a dose of 60 mg/kg IP, but did not significantly change the DOPA accumulation after oral administration. Protriptyline (7.5–30 mg/kg) and benztropine (25 mg/kg) decreased the DOPA accumulation. After inhibition of the impulse flow in the nigroneostriatal pathway by treatment with gammabutyrolactone (GBL), benztropine decreased the DOPA accumulation, while no significant effect was observed after chlorimipramine or protriptyline. Neither chlorimipramine nor protriptyline counteracted the decreased DOPA accumulation after apomorphine in rats treated with GBL. After treatment with reserpine, benztropine decreased the DOPA accumulation. Chlorimipramine and protriptyline did not significantly alter the DOPA accumulation after reserpine. Neither did chlorimipramine or protriptyline counteract the effect of apomorphine on the DOPA accumulation after reserpine. Chlorimipramine (15 mg/kg IP) increased the striatal 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels, while protriptyline (15 mg/kg IP) had no significant effect. The effects of chlorimipramine on the DOPA accumulation and on the DOPAC levels in the striatum may be mediated directly via central dopamine receptors, but more probably indirectly via central 5-hydroxy-tryptaminergic mechanisms.

Effects of LSD and 2-bromo LSD on striatal DOPAC levels

Abstract Administration of d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and its analogue 2-bromo lysergic acid diethylamide (BOL) resulted in a shortlasting increase of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels in the rat striatum. BOL was more potent than LSD in the dose range 0.5–4.0 mg/kg. Since there was a concomitant increase in the striatal in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation as measured by DOPA accumulation after decarboxylase inhibition, our findings suggest that LSD and BOL increase the impulse flow in the nigro-neostriatal pathway probably by central dopamine (DA) receptor antagonism. However, 4 hrs after LSD the DOPAC level was decreased, while the DOPA accumulation was not. Thus the effect of LSD on the dopaminergic system appears not to be limited to a pure receptor antagonism. The possibility also exists that the effect of LSD on the nigro-neostriatal DA pathway is secondary to its effect on the central 5-hydroxytryptaminergic system.