Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Altered in vivo catecholamine release in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of the aged rat

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of age on basal and stimulated noradrenaline release in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the rat was examined by in vivo microdialysis. Microdialysis probes were inserted into the PVN of 3 and 18 month old anaesthetised Sprague Dawley rats and perfused with a modified Ringer solution. Following four basal 30-min collections, transmitter release was stimulated by perfusion with 100 mM potassium for one collection. After re-equilibration, blood pressure was raised 60 mmHg for 30 min by phenylephrine infusion (1–1.3 mg/kg) then a 2-h recovery period followed. Dialysate collections were injected directly onto a reverse phase HPLC-ECD (HPLC with electrochemical detection).

Basal extracellular noradrenaline concentrations were found to be similar in adult and old animals. Basal dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) concentrations were significantly greater in old compared to adult rats (P < 0.05). Potassium depolarisation induced a significant increase in noradrenaline concentrations in both age groups (P < 0.001), however the noradrenaline response to potassium stimulation was significantly reduced in the aged rats (P < 0.05). Potassium-induced decreases in DOPAC and homovanillic acid (HVA) concentrations were seen in both age groups. Following phenylephrine infusion, a modest delayed reduction in noradrenaline levels, which failed to reach statistical significance, was seen. Phenylephrine-induced hypertension was associated with decreased DOPAC and HVA concentrations in adult (P < 0.05) and old (P < 0.05) rats, respectively.

These results indicate that ageing is associated with changes in dopaminergic and noradrenergic activity in the PVN of the rat. A reduction in noradrenaline response to maximal stimulation induced by potassium depolarisation was observed with ageing. The alteration in the activity of the catecholaminergic pathways to the PVN induced by phenylephrine infusion appears to be age dependent.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andén N-E, Grabowska-Andén M (1983) Formation of deaminated metabolites of dopamine in noradrenaline neurons. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 324:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Blatchford D, Holzbauer M, Grahame-Smith DG, Youdim MBH (1976) Ontogenesis of enzyme systems deaminating different monoamines. Br J Pharmacol 57:279–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Carfagna N, Trunzo F, Moretti A (1985) Brain catecholamine content and turnover in aging rats. Exp Gerontol 20:265–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Cerrito F, Aloisi G, Arminio P (1993) Age-related changes in rat brain monoamines release: peculiarity of dopamine release. J Neurosci Res 34:364–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Chronwall BM, DiMaggio DA, Massari VJ, Pickel VM, Ruggiero DA, O'Donohue TL (1985) The anatomy of neuropeptide-Y-containing neurons in rat brain. Neuroscience 15:1159–1181

    Google Scholar 

  • Demarest KT, Riegle GD, Moore KE (1980) Characteristics of dopaminergic neurons in the aged male rat. Neuroendocrinology 31:222–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Desnos C, Raynaud B, Vidal S, Weber MJ, Scherman D (1990) Induction of the vesicular monoamine transporter by elevated potassium concentration in cultures of rat sympathetic neurons. Dev Brain Res 52:161–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Dev BR, Mason PA, Freed CR (1992) Drug-induced changes in blood pressure lead to changes in extracellular concentrations of epinephrine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of the rat. J Neurochem 58:1386–1394

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez-Ruiz J, De Miguel R, Hernandez ML, Cebeira M, Ramos JA (1992) Comparisons between brain dopaminergic neurons of juvenile and aged rats: sex-related differences. Mech Ageing Dev 63:45–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Giannattasio C, Ferrari AU, Mancia G (1994) Alterations in neural cardiovascular control mechanisms with ageing. J Hypertens 12:S13-S17

    Google Scholar 

  • Huguet F, Comoy E, Piriou A, Bohuon C (1993) Age-related changes of noradrenergic-NPY interaction in rat brain: norepinephrine, NPY levels and α-adrenoceptors. Brain Res 625:256–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalra SP, Sahu A, Kalra PS (1993) Ageing of the neuropeptidergic signals in rats. J Reprod Fertil 46:11–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendrick KM, Leng G (1988) Haemorrhage-induced release of noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine and uric acid in the supraoptic nucleus of the rat, measured by microdialysis. Brain Res 440:402–406

    Google Scholar 

  • Kowalski C, Micheau J, Corder R, Gaillard R, Conte-Devolx B (1992) Age-related changes in cortico-releasing factor, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, methionine enkephalin and β-endorphin in specific rat brain areas. Brain Res 582:38–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Lakatta EG (1993) Cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms in advanced age. Physiol Rev 73:413–467

    Google Scholar 

  • Leroux-Nicollet I, Costentin J (1994) Comparison of the subregional distributions of the monoamine vesicular transporter and dopamine uptake complex in the rat striatum and changes during aging. J Neural Transm Gen Sect 97:93–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Meldrum MJ, Westfall TC (1986) Comparison of norepinephrine release in hypertensive rats: I. hypothalamic and brainstem tissues. Clin Exp Hypertens [A] 8:201–219

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyamoto JK, Uezu E, Terashima S-I (1991) Active transport pumps of HVA and DOPAC in dopaminergic nerve terminals. Physiol Behav 49:141–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris MJ, Hastings JA, Pavia JM (1994) Catecholamine release in the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in response to haemorrhage, desipramine and potassium. Brain Res 665:5–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavia JM, Morris MJ (1994) Age-related changes in neuropeptide Y content in brain and peripheral tissues of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 21:335–338

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavia JM, Hastings JA, Morris MJ (1995) Neuropeptide Y potentiation of potassium-induced noradrenaline release in the rat paraventricular nucleus. Brain Res 690:108–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Paxinos G, Watson C (1982) The rat brain in stereotaxic coordinates. Academic Press, Sydney

    Google Scholar 

  • Perego C, Vetrugno G, De Simoni MG, Algeri S (1993) Aging prolongs the stress-induced release of noradrenaline in rat hypothalamus. Neurosci Lett 157:127–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Petkov VD, Stancheva SL, Petkov VV, Alova LG (1987) Age-related changes in brain biogenic monoamines and monoamine oxidase. Gen Pharmacol 18:397–401

    Google Scholar 

  • Qualy JM, Westfall TC (1993) Age-dependent overflow of endogenous norepinephrine from paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus of hypertensive rats. Am J Physiol 265:H39-H46

    Google Scholar 

  • Reymond MJ, Donda A, Lemarchand-Beraud T (1989) Neuroendocrine aspects of aging: experimental data. Horm Res 31:32–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson RL, Dietl H, Bald M, Kraus A, Philippu A (1983) Effects of short-lasting and long-lasting blood pressure changes on the release of endogenous catecholamines in the hypothalamus of the conscious, freely moving rabbit. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 322:203–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez-Gómez JA, de la Roza C, Machado A, Cano J (1995) The effect of age on the monoamines of the hypothalamus. Mech Ageing Dev 77:185–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Roubein IF, Embree LJ, Jackson DW (1986) Changes in catecholamine levels in discrete regions of rat brain during aging. Exp Aging Res 12:193–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Santiago M, Machado A, Cano J (1993) Effects of age and dopamine agonists and antagonists on striatal dopamine release in the rat: an in vivo microdialysis study. Mech Ageing Dev 67:261–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawchenko PE, Swanson LW (1982) The organization of noradrenergic pathways from the brainstem to the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei in the rat brain. Brain Res Rev 4:275–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlicker E, Betz R, Göthert M (1989) Investigation into the age-dependence of release of serotonin and noradrenaline in the rat brain cortex and of auto receptor-mediated modulation of release. Neuropharmacology 28:811–815

    Google Scholar 

  • Simpkins JW (1984) Regional changes in monoamine metabolism in the aging constant estrous rat. Neurobiol Aging 5:309–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Smagin GN, Swiergiel AH, Dunn AJ (1994) Sodium nitroprusside infusions activate cortical and hypothalamic noradrenergic systems in rats. Neurosci Res Comm 14:85–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Snedecor GW, Cochran WG (1967) Statistical methods, 6th edn. The Iowa State University Press, Iowa

    Google Scholar 

  • Starke K (1987) Presynaptic α-autoreceptors. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 107:73–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Taira T, Smith SE (1993) Effect of postnatal exposure to a GABA agonist muscimol on age-related changes in hypothalamic noradrenaline concentration in rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 15:211–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanabe S, Buñag RD (1989) Age-related central and baroreceptor impairment in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Am J Physiol 256: H1399-H1406

    Google Scholar 

  • Terrazzino S, Perego C, Vetrugno G, De Simoni G (1994) Basal and stress-induced release of noradrenaline in hypothalamus of spontaneously hypertensive rats at different ages. Brain Res 668:256–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Ungell A-L, Graefe K-H (1987) Failure of K+ to affect the potency of inhibitors of the neuronal noradrenaline carrier in the rat vas deferens. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 335:250–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Vahabzadeh A, Fillenz M (1992) Studies on the origin of rat hippocampal dihydroxyphenylacetic acid using microdialysis. Neurosci Lett 136:51–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanero JL, Machado A, Cano J (1991) Age effects on monoamine turnover of the rat substantia nigra. Brain Res 557:109–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Westerink BHC, Bosker FJ, Wirix E (1984) Formation and metabolism of dopamine in nine areas of the rat brain: modifications by haloperidol. J Neurochem 42:1321–1327

    Google Scholar 

  • Zetterström T, Sharp T, Collin AK, Ungerstedt U (1988) In vivo measurement of extracellular dopamine and DOPAC in rat striatum after various dopamine-releasing drugs; implications for the origin of extracellular DOPAC. Eur J Pharmacol 148:327–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou LW, Weiss B, Freilich JS, Greenberg LH (1984) Impaired recovery of alpha 1 and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors in brain tissue of aged rats. J Gerontol 39:538–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoli M, Agnati LF, Fuze K, Zini I, Merlo Pich E, Grimaldi R, Härfstrand A, Goldstein M, Wikström AC, Gustafsson J-Å (1988) Morphometrical and microdensitometrical studies on phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase- and neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerve terminals and on glucocorticoid receptor-immunoreactive nerve cell nuclei in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus in adult and old male rats. Neuroscience 26:479–492

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Deakin University, 3217, Victoria, Australia

    J.A. Hastings, J.M. Pavia & M.J. Morris

Authors
  1. J.A. Hastings
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J.M. Pavia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M.J. Morris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hastings, J., Pavia, J. & Morris, M. Altered in vivo catecholamine release in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of the aged rat. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 353, 161–167 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00168753

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00168753

Keywords

Search

Navigation