5‐HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE: THE EFFECTS OF IMPAIRED SYNTHESIS ON ITS METABOLISM AND RELEASE IN RAT

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Abstract
1 Control rats given L-tryptophan (100 mg/kg) showed a smaller increase of brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) than its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). However, when brain 5-HT oncentrations were depleted by 40–50% after treatment with the synthesis inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) (150 mg/kg) L-tryptophan caused a considerable increase in 5-HT but no change in 5-HIAA. Similar results were obtained following depletion of brain 5-HT by pretreatment with p-chloroamphetamine (10 mg/kg). 2 Electrical stimulation of the median raphe nucleus of control rats significantly increased 5-HIAA in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and striatum. However, stimulation of PCPA (200mg/kg) pretreated animals did not significantly increase 5-HlAA either 24 or 72 h after administration of the drug. 3 Pretreatment of rats with PCPA (200 mg/kg) increased striatal synaptosomal uptake of [3H]-5HT by 30% and reduced 5-HT concentration in the rest of the brain by 62%. 4 PCPA (150mg/kg) markedly reduced the acute behavioural response (-76%) to p-chloroamphetamine (10 mg/kg) although brain 5-HT was only moderately reduced (-36%). L-Tryptophan (100 mg/kg) given 15 min before p-chloroamphetamine restored both brain 5-HT and the behavioural effects of p-chloroamphetamine in PCPA pretreated rats and enhanced the behavioural response to p-chloroamphetamine in control rats. 5 The results suggest that newly synthesized 5-HT is less rapidly metabolized in rats with low brain 5-HT. The possible reasons for this and the relevance of the results to the use of L-tryptophan in the treatment of depressive illness are discussed.