Effects of antidepressant drug combinations on cortical 5-HT2 receptors and wet-dog shakes in rats.

Rats pretreated with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor, phenelzine 18 h (46.8 mg/kg) and 90 min (11.7 mg/kg) previously or only 90 min (46.8 mg/kg) previously developed a 5-HT dependent syndrome (including wet-dog shakes, WDS) when given the 5-HT uptake inhibitor, paroxetine (11.6 mg/kg). After 2 h, but only in rats pretreated with 2 injections of phenelzine, there was a gradual reduction in the number of cortical 5-HT2 receptors, determined in vitro with [3H]ketanserin, and this was temporally related to a reduction in the frequency of WDS. Both effects (down-regulation and WDS) were prevented by the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, pirenperone. A second injection of paroxetine at 3 h evoked additional WDS in rats pretreated with 1 injection of phenelzine but not in rats pretreated with 2 injections, suggesting that spinal 5-HT2 receptors might also have been down-regulated at the same time. Similar results were obtained when rats were pretreated instead with the selective MAO A inhibitor, clorgyline or when given either citalopram or fenfluramine instead of paroxetine. 5-HTP also evoked WDS in phenelzine-treated rats and markedly increased brain 5-HT concentration but only slowly down-regulated 5-HT2 receptors; in carbidopa-treated animals, 5-HTP was without effect on receptor numbers despite production of frequent WDS. It thus appears that drugs which increase synaptic 5-HT (as indicated by production of WDS) by interference with the release or reuptake of 5-HT more readily down-regulate 5-HT2 receptors than 5-HTP which does not directly affect these mechanisms.

Further evidence for an anomalous regulation of cortical 5-HT2 receptors: studies with 5-HT precursors.

Rats pretreated with either phenelzine (50 mg/kg 18 h and 12 mg/kg 90 min previously) or carbidopa (25 mg/kg 30 min previously) then given tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), developed wet-dog shakes which were more intense after 5-HTP. Cortical 5-HT2 receptors were significantly reduced within 3 h of tryptophan (150 or 500 mg/kg) given to phenelzine-treated rats. 5-HTP either did not affect (150 mg/kg) or slightly increased (350 mg/kg) 5-HT2 receptor numbers in rats pretreated with carbidopa. The response to 5-HTP (350 mg/kg) was not altered by pretreatment with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, haloperidol, propranolol or yohimbine.

Effects of dopamine D1 and D2 agonists and antagonists injected into the nucleus accumbens and globus pallidus on jaw movements of rats.

The effects of bilateral injections of selective D1 and D2 agonists and antagonists into the anteromedial part of the nucleus accumbens and the globus pallidus on apomorphine-induced jaw movements were studied in ketamine-anaesthetized rats after C1 spinal transection. Both SCH 23390 (0.1 and 1 micrograms) and 1-sulpiride (5 and 25 ng) injected into the nucleus accumbens suppressed the display of jaw movements after apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg i.v.). Injection of 1-sulpiride (5 and 25 ng) into the globus pallidus also blocked the effect of apomorphine, whereas SCH 23390 (1 microgram) injected into the same site was ineffective in this respect. Simultaneous application of the selective D1 and D2 agonists, SKF (1 or 5 micrograms) + quinpirole (10 micrograms), into the nucleus accumbens strongly potentiated the effect induced by local administration of each drug alone; a comparable, but smaller, effect was seen after simultaneous injections of these agents into the globus pallidus. These results show that dopaminergic mechanisms within the nucleus accumbens are involved in apomorphine-induced jaw movements, and that the expression of these movements requires concurrent activation of D1 and D2 receptors.