Effect of amantadine on motility of reserpinized mice as a function of brain biogenic amines and mouse strains.

The effect of amantadine, reserpine or both on locomotor activity and whole brain content of selected biogenic amines and major metabolites was studied as a function of mouse strain. Successive administration of small dose regimens of reserpine, 0.2 mg/kg IP, did not alter motility from corresponding saline control. Administration of amantadine, 100 mg/kg, IP, prior to each of the reserpine treatments produced either stimulation of motor activity in the albino ICR and black C57BL/6 mice or caused inhibition from reserpine in the albino BALB/C and the brown CDF-1 mouse strains. This suggests a genotype strain sensitivity to the amantadine and reserpine interaction on the motor behavior of the mouse. The amantadine treatment did not alter brain dopamine concentration but increased its immediate acid metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, in the C57BL/6 mice as contrasted with reduction of the same in the BALB/C mouse strain. Both BALB/C and C57BL/6 mice showed changes in brain normetanephrine levels as a consequence of the pharmacologic intervention used which suggest catecholaminergic sensitivity. The only changes produced by the agents studied in brain serotonin or 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels were confined to the BALB/C mouse strain. No changes occurred in brain levels of the compounds measured from corresponding controls in the CDF-1 mice. The results indicate differential sensitivity of the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems to drug-drug interaction studied which appears to be strain dependent.