Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Adrenergic Agonists: Indirect-Acting Agents

Adrenergic Agonists: Indirect-Acting Agents

Indirect-acting adrenergic agonists potentiate the effects of endogenous catecholamines through different mechanisms without directly binding to adrenoceptors.
One mechanism involves depleting stored catecholamines by displacing them from synaptic vesicles. These agents, known as "displacers," are transported into vesicles at the expense of noradrenaline. Examples include amphetamine and tyramine, which lack a catechol moiety, resulting in prolonged action, improved oral bioavailability, and...

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake

Certain drugs can affect how neurotransmitters called catecholamines, are released or taken back up in the adrenergic neuron. They can have different effects on the body's sympathetic transmission. Reserpine, a natural compound found in the Rauwolfia shrub, blocks a transporter called vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), which leads to a buildup of catecholamines in the cell and reduces sympathetic transmission. Another drug called guanethidine works in multiple ways, including blocking...

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists

Serotonin, a crucial neurotransmitter synthesized by enterochromaffin cells, plays a cardinal role in regulating gastrointestinal (GI) motility. With over 90% of the body's total serotonin in the GI tract, its influence on digestive processes is profound. Serotonin is swiftly released upon various stimuli, such as food boluses or certain drugs, triggering intrinsic sensory neurons in the myenteric plexus and extrinsic vagal and spinal sensory neurons. This leads to the activation of the...

Adrenergic Agonists: Direct-Acting Agents

Adrenergic Agonists: Direct-Acting Agents

Drugs that mimic the action of endogenous catecholamines like noradrenaline and adrenaline are called adrenergic agonists or sympathomimetics. Based on their mechanism of action, sympathomimetics can be classified as direct-, indirect-, or mixed-acting sympathomimetics. Direct-acting adrenergic agonists activate adrenoceptors without affecting presynaptic neurons, making them independent of neuronal catecholamine-depleting agents like reserpine and guanethidine.
These agents can be classified...

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

Adrenergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship

Adrenergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship

Adrenergic agonists' structure-activity relationship (SAR) determines their selectivity and efficacy. These agonists comprise a phenylethylamine moiety with an aromatic ring and an ethylamine side chain.
Aromatic ring substitutions: Substituting the aromatic ring with –OH groups at positions 3 and 4 yields catecholamines (e.g., epinephrine), which have a high affinity for adrenoceptors. Hydrogen bonding between –OH groups and receptors enhances adrenergic activity.
Separation of the aromatic...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Using the sympathetic system, beta blockers, alpha-2 agonists to address acute respiratory distress syndrome.

International immunopharmacology·2024

Same author

Letter to the editor: "Clonidine is associated with faster first resolution of incident ICU delirium than antipsychotics".

Journal of critical care·2023

Same author

Clinical Practice: Should we Radically Alter our Sedation of Critical Care Patients, Especially Given the COVID-19 Pandemics?

Romanian journal of anaesthesia and intensive care·2021

Same author

RNA editing blood biomarkers for predicting mood alterations in HCV patients.

Journal of neurovirology·2019

Same author

Hypothesis: Fever control, a niche for alpha-2 agonists in the setting of septic shock and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome?

Temperature (Austin, Tex.)·2018

Same author

Do we feel pain during anesthesia? A critical review on surgery-evoked circulatory changes and pain perception.

Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology·2018

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain

Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain

Published on: March 7, 2019

A selective 5-HT(1) agonist, RU 24969, increases locus coeruleus catechol metabolic and neuronal activity.

J L Brassard¹, L Quintin, G Hilaire

¹Neuropharmacology, Roussel Uclaf, 93230 Romainville, France.

Neurochemistry International

|May 27, 2010

Summary

RU 24969, a serotonin-1 agonist, activates the locus coeruleus (LC) in rats. This activation, measured by catechol oxidation and dopamine levels, is dose-dependent and blocked by serotonergic lesions.

More Related Videos

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome

Published on: September 23, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain

Localization of the Locus Coeruleus in the Mouse Brain

Published on: March 7, 2019

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome

Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome

Published on: September 23, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Pharmacology

Background:

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a key brain region involved in various functions, including arousal and stress response.
Understanding the modulation of LC activity by specific neurotransmitter systems is crucial for deciphering its role in neurological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of RU 24969, a selective serotonin-1 receptor agonist, on locus coeruleus (LC) activity.
To characterize the neurochemical changes associated with RU 24969-induced LC activation.

Main Methods:

In vivo electrochemistry (differential pulse voltammetry) and single unit activity recordings in the LC.
Post-mortem high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of microdissected LC tissue.
Lesioning of serotonergic pathways using 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine.

Main Results:

Systemic administration of RU 24969 led to a dose-dependent increase in catechol oxidation current and single unit activity in the LC.
HPLC analysis confirmed increased dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels in microdissected LC following RU 24969 treatment.
RU 24969 administration decreased the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/serotonin ratio in the LC, suggesting altered serotonergic tone.
Lesions of serotonergic pathways abolished the RU 24969-induced increase in LC catechol metabolic activity.

Conclusions:

RU 24969 potently activates the locus coeruleus through a mechanism involving serotonin-1 receptors.
The study demonstrates a direct link between serotonergic system activation and increased catecholamine metabolism in the LC.
These findings provide insights into the neurochemical regulation of LC activity and its potential implications in neurological disorders.