Abstract
In slices of the rat occipital cortex, the influence of phencyclidine and ketamine on the accumulation of 3H-noradrenaline and the subsequent outflow of tritium was investigated, and was compared with the effect of cocaine.-All three drugs inhibited the accumulation of tritium during incubation of the slices with 3H-noradrenaline. Phencyclidine was slightly, whereas ketamine was much less effective than cocaine.-All three drugs accelerated the spontaneous outflow of tritium from slices preincubated with 3H-noradrenaline. The acceleration caused by low concentrations probably reflects an inhibition of the re-uptake of spontaneously released 3H-noradrenaline; in addition, high concentrations (10−4M phencyclidine, 3×10−4–10−3M cocaine and 10−3–3×10−3M ketamine) appear to release tritiated compounds from the neurones. The distance between uptakeinhibiting and releasing concentrations was much greater for cocaine than for phencyclidine and ketamine.-All three drugs enhanced the overflow of tritium evoked by electrical field stimulation. The increase probably reflects an inhibition of the re-uptake of released 3H-noradrenaline; in addition, phencyclidine appears to enhance the release of noradrenaline per pulse.-The actions of phencyclidine and ketamine on central noradrenergic neurones may contribute to the characteristic psychotropic side-effects of these general anaesthetics.
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