Increase in brain dopamine after axotomy or treatment with gammahydroxybutyric acid due to elimination of the nerve impulse flow.

Abstract

Both a unilateral, frontal section of the brain at the level of the caudal hypothalamus (hemisection) and systemic treatment with gammahydroxybutyric acid (GHBA, sodium form, 1.5 g/kg i.p.) increased the dopamine (DA) in the rat forebrain by about 70% in 1 h. Both procedures also markedly decelerated the α-methyltyrosine-induced DA disappearance. The brain noradrenaline was significantly lowered after the hemisection, but was not influenced by the treatment with GHBA given either alone or in combination with α-methyltyrosine.