Open AccessA Comparative Study on the Effects of Nicotine and GTS-21, a New Nicotinic Agonist, on the Locomotor Activity and Brain Monoamine Level
Author(s) -
Masato Nanri,
Nobuo Kasahara,
Jyunji Yamamoto,
Hidekazu Miyake,
Hiroshi Watanabe
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
japanese journal of pharmacology/japanese journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1347-3506
pISSN - 0021-5198
DOI - 10.1254/jjp.78.385
Subject(s) - nicotine , dopamine , dopaminergic , nicotinic agonist , agonist , cholinergic , locomotor activity , monoamine neurotransmitter , pharmacology , striatum , chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , neuroscience , psychology , receptor , serotonin
Effects of GTS-21 [3-(2,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)-anabaseine dihydrochloride], a selective nicotinic agonist, on locomotor activity and dopamine turnover were examined and compared to those of nicotine to test if GTS-21 exhibits side effects similar to those of nicotine. GTS-21 had no effect on locomotor activity in mice or dopamine turnover in rats. In contrast, nicotine produced a biphasic effect on locomotor activity. It also enhanced dopamine turnover rates in the striatum and cerebral cortex, suggesting the involvement of dopaminergic systems in the nicotine-induced changes in locomotor activity. GTS-21 exhibits fewer adverse effects, suggesting that it has therapeutic potential for cognitive disorders related to central cholinergic dysfunction.