Intracellular actions of monoamine transmitters.

Intracellular injections of noradrenaline or dopamine in spinal motoneurones of cats have a clear depolarizing action associated with particularly marked depression of spike potentials and their after-hyperpolarization, but with little slowing-down of the falling phase of the action potential. These effects are associated with an increase in input resistance, and they are reversible and reproducible in the same neurone. Intracellular injections of 5-hydroxytryptamine have some depolarizing action and increased input resistance, but they produced no comparable depression of the action potential and tended to enhance the after-potentials and increase excitability. It is concluded that changes in intracellular levels of monoamines, whether physiological or drug induced, may be of significance for central neuronal function.