Effects of the administration of a-methyl-p-tyrosine on the striatal dopamine increase and the behavioral motor disturbances in rats exposed to high pressure.

When human divers and experimental animals are exposed to increased environmental pressure, they develop the high pressure neurological syndrome (HPNS). Moreover, it has been recently demonstrated that pressure exposure induced an increase in striatal dopamine (DA) release. In this study, the effects of intracerebroventricular administration of a-methyl-p-tyrosine on the pressure-induced striatal DA increase, and the behavioral motor disturbances of HPNS, including hyperlocomotor activity (HLA), tremor, and myoclonia were monitored in free-moving rats. Striatal DA release was monitored by in vivo voltammetry, and behavioral symptoms using piezoelectrical sensors. Results suggested that the pressure-induced striatal DA increase could be the consequence of a release in both newly synthesized and vesicular DA. Elsewhere, data also confirmed that the pressure-induced DA disturbances would be involved in the development of HLA.