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Effect of nootropic drugs on age‐dependent changes in transmitter release
Author(s) -
Schmidt Joachim,
Wustmann Christian,
Rudolph Erika,
Zschorn EvaMaria,
Fischer HansDieter
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.430140321
Subject(s) - piracetam , dopamine , vinpocetine , chemistry , hypoxia (environmental) , striatum , pharmacology , medicine , endocrinology , organic chemistry , oxygen
Dopamine release from rat striatum slices shows marked age‐dependent changes. In 9‐month‐old animals the potassium‐stimulated efflux is reduced by more than one‐half compared with the maximum release seen at an age of 2–6 months. That means that the vesicle storage pool loses its functional maximum size at a relative early age. The mechanisms underlying these changes are complex and unclear as yet. Experimental data show interesting relationships between age‐dependent and hypoxia‐induced changes in cerebral neurotransmission. The posthypoxic changes in transmitter release are prevented by single high doses of nootropics and related drugs, and long‐term treatment with lower, not protective doses leads to a marked acceleration of the restitution. Therefore, we studied the effect of a long‐term treatment of aging rats with nootropics and related drugs. Piracetam meclofenoxate, or vinpocetine given to old rats in low doses twice a day for 3 weeks cause a significant diminution of the age‐dependent lowering of dopamine release. This result leads to the assumption that nootropic drugs retard in part age‐dependent processes in the CNS.