Effects of fusaric (5-butylpicolinic) acid on the monosynaptic reflex neural activity of cat spinal cord.

It has been demonstrated that most hypertensive drugs which cause increases in levels of norepinephrine influence the stimulation of monosynaptic reflex (MSR) neural activity. However this report discusses the effects of a hypotensive drug, which causes decreases in levels of norepinephrine, on the MSR amplitude of acute spinal cats. This drug is 5-butylpicolinic acid (fusaric acid: FA) which is an effective hypotensive agent and a potent inhibitor of dopamine beta-hydroxylase (approximately 10 times more potent than disurfiram). Intravenous injections of FA increased MSR neural activity in a dose-dependent manner. The FA-induced neural activity was gradually depressed by treatment with haloperidol, a dopamine and/or a alpha receptor blocker and methysergide, a serotonin receptor blocker, respectively. In addition, this neural activity was potentiated by the sequential administration of L-dopa. FA did not cause increases in the blood pressure but inhibit the synthesis of norepinephrine from dopamine. These results suggest that not only hypertensive but also hypotensive drugs can affect the increase of MSR neural activity, and dopamine plays an important role in FA-induced neural activity.