![]() |
|
|
Vol. 288, Issue 2, 798-804, February 1999
Centre de Recherche Pierre Fabre, Cedex, France
The present study examined the influence of alpha-2
adrenoceptor ligands on circling behavior in rats with unilateral
6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway. The
alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists, clonidine and
UK 14304, inhibited both the ipsilateral rotation induced by the
indirect dopaminergic agonist, methylphenidate, and the contralateral
circling induced by the direct dopaminergic agonist, apomorphine. In
contrast, the alpha-2 adrenoceptor
antagonists, idazoxan and (±)-efaroxan, enhanced the circling induced
by either methylphenidate or apomorphine. The facilitating activity of
efaroxan was stereoselective because the (+)-enantiomer mimicked the
effect of (±)-efaroxan, whereas the (
)-enantiomer was essentially
inactive, thus indicating a mediation by alpha-2
adrenoceptors. Upon administration alone, the above-mentioned compounds
did not modify spontaneous circling behavior, except for UK 14304, which decreased, and (+)-efaroxan, which slightly increased, the
ipsilateral rotation. We conclude that activation and antagonism of
alpha-2 adrenoceptors inhibit and enhance, respectively, the
circling behavior evoked by both direct and indirect dopaminergic
agonists. Although a modulation of dopamine release may be involved in
some of these drug effects, the effects on apomorphine-induced circling
indicate an influence of alpha-2 adrenoceptor compounds on
nigrostriatal neurotransmission at sites downstream from the
dopaminergic neurons themselves. These findings support the notion of a
potential benefit of alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonists in
the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
P. Belujon, E. Bezard, A. Taupignon, B. Bioulac, and A. Benazzouz Noradrenergic Modulation of Subthalamic Nucleus Activity: Behavioral and Electrophysiological Evidence in Intact and 6-Hydroxydopamine-Lesioned Rats J. Neurosci., September 5, 2007; 27(36): 9595 - 9606. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D Devos, P Krystkowiak, F Clement, K Dujardin, O Cottencin, N Waucquier, K Ajebbar, B Thielemans, M Kroumova, A Duhamel, et al. Improvement of gait by chronic, high doses of methylphenidate in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, May 1, 2007; 78(5): 470 - 475. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Turle-Lorenzo, B. Maurin, C. Puma, C. Chezaubernard, P. Morain, C. Baunez, A. Nieoullon, and M. Amalric The Dopamine Agonist Piribedil with L-DOPA Improves Attentional Dysfunction: Relevance for Parkinson's Disease J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., November 1, 2006; 319(2): 914 - 923. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. L. Lane, S. Cheetham, and P. Jenner Dopamine Uptake Inhibitor-Induced Rotation in 6-Hydroxydopamine-Lesioned Rats Involves Both D1 and D2 Receptors but Is Modulated through 5-Hydroxytryptamine and Noradrenaline Receptors J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., March 1, 2005; 312(3): 1124 - 1131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. J. Hansard, L. A. Smith, M. J. Jackson, S. C. Cheetham, and P. Jenner Dopamine, but Not Norepinephrine or Serotonin, Reuptake Inhibition Reverses Motor Deficits in 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-Treated Primates J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., December 1, 2002; 303(3): 952 - 958. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Chopin, F. C. Colpaert, and M. Marien Effects of Acute and Subchronic Administration of Dexefaroxan, an alpha 2-Adrenoceptor Antagonist, on Memory Performance in Young Adult and Aged Rodents J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., April 1, 2002; 301(1): 187 - 196. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. J. Millan, D. Cussac, G. Milligan, C. Carr, V. Audinot, A. Gobert, F.'o. Lejeune, J.-M. Rivet, M. Brocco, D. Duqueyroix, et al. Antiparkinsonian Agent Piribedil Displays Antagonist Properties at Native, Rat, and Cloned, Human alpha 2-Adrenoceptors: Cellular and Functional Characterization J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., June 1, 2001; 297(3): 876 - 887. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||