L-Deprenyl stimulates the release of catecholamines in the rat medial basal hypothalamus in vivo

Abstract

In vivo release of catecholamines in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) by l-deprenyl, a monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitor, was measured in young male Sprague–Dawley rats with stereotaxically implanted push-pull cannulae in the MBH and perfused with 0 (control), 1.5, 2.5 or 10.0 μg deprenyl in 20 μl of saline. Perfusate samples were collected at 20-min intervals and analyzed for norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-EC. NE release in the MBH was enhanced following perfusion with 2.5 and 10.0 μg deprenyl while DA release was augmented after infusion of 10.0 μg of deprenyl. There were no significant alterations in the release of NE and DA in the control and 1.5 μg deprenyl groups. These results suggest that deprenyl-induced in vivo release of catecholamines in the MBH may be involved in the reversal of some of the reproductive aging processes.