Structural requirements for uptake into serotoninergic neurones.

Experiments were performed to examine whether non-hydroxylated tryptamines and 4-chloroamphetamine utilize the membrane 5-hydroxytryptamine carrier to pass into serotoninergic neurones. The accumulation and deamination of 14C-tryptamine by mouse brain slices or homogenates of rat hypothalamus were not inhibited by cocaine or norzimelidine, a selective inhibitor of the neuronal 5-HT uptake. The prevention by alpha-methyltryptamine (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), alpha-ethyltryptamine (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally) and 4-chloroamphetamine (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally) of the irreversible inhibtion of monoamine oxidase by pheniprazine (2.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally) and clorgyline (5 mg/kg intraperitoneally) in serotoninergic synaptosomes from mouse brain was not antagonized by pretreatment of the animals with norzimelidine (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally). The partial preventing effect of alpha-ethyl-4-methyl-m-tyramine (H 75/12)(2 X 50 mg/kg intraperitoneally) was, on the other hand, antagonized by norzimelidine. These results do not support the hypothesis that non-hydroxylated tryptamines and 4-chloroamphetamine are transported by the 5-HT carrier.