Effect of bupropion on hippocampal neurotransmitters and on peripheral hormonal concentrations in the rat

The purpose of the present study was to administer an acute dose of the dual dopamine norepinephrine reuptake blocker bupropion in freely moving rats and to monitor the extracellular neurotransmitter concentrations in the hippocampus via in vivo microdialysis and the peripheral hormonal concentrations via catheterization. A microdialysis probe was inserted in the hippocampus, and samples for serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine were collected every 20 min before and after the injection of 17 mg/kg of bupropion, for a total sampling time of 180 min. A catheter was placed in the vena femoralis of the second group of rats, and blood samples were collected before and after bupropion injection for quantification of growth hormone, prolactin, corticosterone, adrenocorticotropin hormone, and beta-endorphins. All neurotransmitter levels (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin) significantly increased after bupropion injection. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in prolactin concentrations, whereas the other hormones showed no statistically significant variation. It can, therefore, be concluded that, although bupropion has dual reuptake proprieties, the observed effects both at the central and at the peripheral level seem to be ruled by the dopaminergic system.