There is evidence that certain psychopathological conditions are accompanied by a dysfunction in both the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and dopaminergic systems, although the relationship between these two systems is as yet unclear. In the present study we investigated the effect of a specific lesion of dopamine mesencephalic neurons (Ventral Tegmental Area) on basal and stress-induced corticosterone secretion. Three weeks after injection of 6-OHDA, there was a depletion in dopamine in the frontal cortex and in the ventral and dorsal striatum, whereas norepinephrine and serotonin levels were unchanged. The dopamine-lesioned rats exhibited a lower basal and stress-induced corticosterone secretion than the sham-lesioned animals. The results indicate that the dopaminergic system may have a stimulatory influence on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Basal and stress-induced corticosterone secretion is decreased by lesion of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons / Casolini, Paola; Kabbaj, M.; Leprat, F.; Piazza, P. V.; ROUGE PONT, F.; Angelucci, Luciano; Simon, H.; LE MOAL, M.; Maccari, S.. - In: BRAIN RESEARCH. - ISSN 0006-8993. - STAMPA. - 622:(1993), pp. 311-314. [10.1016/0006-8993(93)90836-C]
Basal and stress-induced corticosterone secretion is decreased by lesion of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons.
CASOLINI, Paola;ANGELUCCI, Luciano;
1993
Abstract
There is evidence that certain psychopathological conditions are accompanied by a dysfunction in both the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and dopaminergic systems, although the relationship between these two systems is as yet unclear. In the present study we investigated the effect of a specific lesion of dopamine mesencephalic neurons (Ventral Tegmental Area) on basal and stress-induced corticosterone secretion. Three weeks after injection of 6-OHDA, there was a depletion in dopamine in the frontal cortex and in the ventral and dorsal striatum, whereas norepinephrine and serotonin levels were unchanged. The dopamine-lesioned rats exhibited a lower basal and stress-induced corticosterone secretion than the sham-lesioned animals. The results indicate that the dopaminergic system may have a stimulatory influence on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.