In vivo brain levels of acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine after oleoylethanolamide or palmitoylethanolamide administrations are mediated by PPARα engagement.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is a nuclear receptor that has been linked to the modulation of several physiological functions, including the sleep-wake cycle. The PPARα recognizes as endogenous ligands the lipids oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), which in turn, if systemically injected, they exert wake-promoting effects. Moreover, the activation of PPARα by the administration of OEA or PEA increases the extracellular contents of neurotransmitters linked to the control of wakefulness; however, the role of PPARα activated by OEA or PEA on additional biochemicals related to waking regulation, such as acetylcholine (ACh) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), has not been fully studied. Here, we have investigated the effects of treatments of OEA or PEA on the contents of ACh and 5-HT by using in vivo microdialysis techniques coupled to HPLC means. For this purpose, OEA or PEA were systemically injected (5, 10 or 30 mg/kg; i.p.), and the levels of ACh and 5-HT were collected from the basal forebrain, a wake-related brain area. These pharmacological treatments significantly increased the contents of ACh and 5-HT as determined by HPLC procedures. Interestingly, PPARα antagonist MK-886 (30 mg/kg; i.p.) injected before the treatments of OEA or PEA blocked these outcomes. Our data suggest that the activation of PPARα by OEA or PEA produces significant changes on ACh and 5-HT levels measured from the basal forebrain and support the conclusion that PPARα is a suitable molecular element involved in the regulation of wake-related neurotransmitters.