Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Acetylcholine/dopamine interaction in planaria.

F R Buttarelli1, F E Pontieri, V Margotta

  • 1Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università 'La Sapienza', Viale dell'Università, 30 (box no. 41), 00185 Rome, Italy.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Toxicology & Pharmacology : CBP
|January 16, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The role of opicapone in the management of Parkinson's disease: an Italian consensus through a combined Nominal Group Technique and Delphi approach.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2023
Same author

Genome-wide association study of immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis in three patient cohorts: comparison with myeloma.

Leukemia·2016
Same author

Rationale, application and clinical qualification for NT-proBNP as a surrogate end point in pivotal clinical trials in patients with AL amyloidosis.

Leukemia·2016
Same author

Melphalan and dexamethasone with or without bortezomib in newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis: a matched case-control study on 174 patients.

Leukemia·2014
Same author

The potential prognostic role of cardiovascular autonomic failure in α-synucleinopathies.

European journal of neurology·2012
Same author

Hippocampal abnormalities and memory deficits in Parkinson disease: a multimodal imaging study.

Neurology·2012

Planaria exhibit complex behaviors influenced by cholinergic and dopaminergic systems. Cholinergic reduction is key to hyperkinesia, suggesting early interactions between these neurotransmitter systems in evolution.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Comparative Physiology

Background:

  • Planaria possess a primitive nervous system, showcasing early centralization and cephalization.
  • Planaria display drug-induced behaviors analogous to mammalian stereotypes, particularly involving acetylcholine and dopamine pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize planarian behavioral responses to cholinergic and dopaminergic drugs.
  • To investigate the interactions between the cholinergic and dopaminergic systems in planaria using behavioral methods.

Main Methods:

  • Administration of cholinergic agonists (physostigmine, nicotine) and antagonists (atropine).
  • Administration of dopamine agonists (nomifensine, apomorphine) and antagonists.
  • Behavioral observation and analysis of planarian postures and movements (hypokinesia, hyperkinesia, 'bridge-like', 'walnut', 'screw-like' positions).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Pre-exposure experiments to assess drug interaction effects.

    • Main Results:

    • Cholinergic agonists induced hypokinesia, while atropine caused hyperkinesia.
    • Dopamine agonists induced marked hyperkinesia, and antagonists led to immobility or specific postures.
    • Pre-exposure to physostigmine modulated dopamine agonist effects, and vice versa, indicating system interactions.
    • Cholinergic system reduction appears critical for inducing hyperkinesia, with specific dopamine receptor stimulation influencing movement patterns.

    Conclusions:

    • Cholinergic and dopaminergic systems interact significantly in planaria, even at this primitive evolutionary stage.
    • Reduction in cholinergic transmission plays a crucial role in planarian hyperkinesia.
    • The findings suggest that complex neurotransmitter interactions observed in mammals have ancient evolutionary origins.