Lack of effect ofNω‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester on bromocriptine‐induced locomotor sensitization in mice

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitory agent, on bromocriptine-induced locomotor sensitization in mice. Adult male Swiss-Webster mice (26-32 g) were the subjects. Saline or L-NAME (15-60 mg/kg) was injected to mice intraperitoneally 30 min before bromocriptine (5 mg/kg), and locomotor activity was recorded for 240 min in an open field activity monitoring system. This procedure lasted for 2 weeks, once in 2 days from Monday to Friday, six sessions in total. After a 2-day drug-free period, a challenge injection of bromocriptine (5 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered by all groups of mice. Other groups of mice treated with bromocriptine according to the aforementioned procedure except L-NAME pretreatments were challenged with saline or L-NAME (15-60 mg/kg) plus bromocriptine (5 mg/kg) after a 2-day drug-free period. Bromocriptine produced a significant locomotor sensitization. L-NAME (15-60 mg/kg) did not have any significant effect on the development and expression of bromocriptine-induced locomotor sensitization in mice. Meanwhile, the data also imply that NO-related mechanisms may not be responsible for bromocriptine-induced locomotor sensitization in mice.