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Prenatal diazepam exposure induces a lasting reduction in 3 H‐norepinephrine release in the hypothalamus
Author(s) -
Kellogg C.,
Retell T.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(85)90133-9
Subject(s) - citation , library science , psychology , computer science
Diazepam (DZ) administered to Long Evans rats over days 13-20 of gestation induces a reduction in the utilization of norepinephrine (NE) in the hypothalamus of adult progeny, In the present study, the release of NE was studied under in-vitro conditions in order to disclose mechanisms responsible for the altered utilization in prenatally exposed animals. Pregnant rats were injected as above with 1.0, 2.5, or 10 mg/kg DZ. Beginning at 70 days of age, the hypothalamus was removed from the offspring and incubated with 3H-NE (lo-7M) at 37OC for 20 min. Release was induced by incubatinn of the tissue in medium containing 25mM KCl. The evoked release (difference between the percent tissue 3H-NE released in high potassium and physiologic medium) was 11.5 f. 1.5% in uninjected control rats, 8.33 2 .78X, 7.53 + .36%, and 3.9 + .49X in rats exposed prenatally to DZ at 1.0, 2.5, or 10.0 mg/kg respectively. Incubation of the tissue with the alpha receptor antagonist phentolamine (lo-5M) induced increases in evoked release of 124% and 353% in uninjected control rats and rats prenatally exposed to 10,O mgfkg DZ. These results suggest that there is a greater release-modulating effect from presynaptic alpha receptors in animals exposed prenatally to DZ. Work supported by grant MH-31850 from the U.S. Public Health Service.