Effect of chronic clonidine treatment on the turnover of noradrenaline and dopamine in various regions of the rat brain.

The turnover of noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) was estimated in various rat brain regions by measuring the depletion of the amines after inhibition of their biosynthesis by alpha-methyltyrosine. Acute treatment with clonidine (0.1 mg/kg) reduced NA turnover in the brain stem, hypothalamus and rest of the brain but had no effect on DA turnover in the corpus striatum and rest of the brain. After chronic clonidine treatment (0.1 mg/kg, twice daily for 156 days), NA turnover was not affected by an additional injection of clonidine in the brain stem or in the hypothalamus but was still markedly reduced in the rest of the brain. In addition, DA turnover was reduced in the corpus striatum and rest of the brain, an effect which was also observed after a single injection of a high dose of clonidine (1 mg/kg). These findings suggest that a chronic administration of clonidine may cause regionally differential changes in the sensitivity of central NA receptors.