Possible physiological significance of the initial step in the catabolism of noradrenaline in the central nervous system of the rat.

The hypothalamus, the cerebral cortex and the cerebellar cortex of the rat were labelled in vitro with 3H-noradrenaline (3H-NA) and the metabolism of the tritiated transmitter was studied during spontaneous outflow and under conditions of release elicited by exposure to 20 mM K+. In the three areas of the central nervous system of the rat 3H-NA accounted for approximately 40% of the total radioactivity in spontaneous outflow while the 3H-O-methylated deaminated fraction (3H-OMDA) and 3H-3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (3H-DOPEG) were the main metabolites. Exposure to the reserpine-like agent, Ro 4-1284 induced a selective increase in the spontaneous outflow of 3H-DOPEG, while the contribution of the 3H-OMDA metabolites to the release induced by Ro 4-1284 was very small. During 3H-transmitter release elicited by exposure to 20 mM K+, approximately 80% of the radioactivity was collected as unmetabolized 3H-NA, while 3H-DOPEG was the main metabolite formed under these experimental conditions. Exposure to cocaine prevented 3H-DOPEG formation from 3H-NA released by K+, indicating that 3H-DOPEG was formed after neuronal reuptake of the transmitter released by K+. After in vitro labelling with 3H-NA, the unmetabolized transmitter represented approximately 70% of the total radioactivity retained in the tissue. However, when 3H-NA was administered in vivo, by intraventricular injection, only 30% of the total radioactivity retained by the tissue was accounted for by 3H-NA, and 60% of the radioactivity corresponded to the 3H-OMDA fraction, most of which was retained as 3H-MOPEG sulfate. When the rats were pretreated with pyrogallol, free 3H-DOPEG accounted for nearly 50% of the radioactivity retained in the three areas of the central nervous system after in vivo labelling with 3H-NA. When monoamine oxidase was inhibited by pargyline and 3H-NA was administered by intraventricular injection, 3H-NMN accounted for approximately 50% of the total radioactivity retained in the three areas of the central nervous system of the rat. The results obtained are compatible with the view that formation of the deamined glycol is the first step in the metabolism of 3H-NA in the rat central nervous system. In addition, it is concluded that the determination of the levels of some NA metabolites retained in the central nervous system does not necessarily represent an accurate reflection of the degree of central noradrenergic activity or of selective metabolic pathways. Consequently, in studies on the metabolism of NA it is important to take into account not only the transmitter and its metabolites in the tissue but also in the outflow from the structures studied either under in vivo or in vitro conditions.