• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 1992

Rats were treated with physostigmine, using 0.75 mg/kg acutely, with 0.75 mg/kg daily for 7 dats, or with 0.15 mg/kg/h continuously for 7 days. Striatal dopamine (DA), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activities were studied. After acute treatment striatal DOPAC and HVA concentrations were significantly increased without changes in DA level 1 h, but not 24 h. And also the ratios of DOPAC/DA and HVA/DA were increased, suggesting an increased turnover of DA. however TH activities were decreased 24h, but not 1h after acute administration. After both daily and continuous treatment with physostigmine for 7 days, neither DA nor its metabolites were changed. However their ratios were decreased, suggesting a decreased turnover of DA. The TH activities were only decreased in the daily treated group, but not in the continously treated one. These results indicate that dopamine metabolisms are changed after acute and subacute administration with physostigmine. Further it suggest that the subacute stimulation of cholinergic activity may induce the dopamine metablism and activity to be decreased.