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A functional interaction between GABA and 5-HT in inhibiting picrotoxin-induced myoclonus in rats
1Department of Pharmacology & Environmental Toxicology, Dr. A. L. M. Postgraduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani.
Abstract:
Pretreatment with 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a precursor of 5-HT, antagonised while pretreatment with p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA), a 5-HT depletor, potentiated the myoclonus induced by picrotoxin, a GABA antagonist. Pretreatment with aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA), a GABA transaminase inhibitor, antagonised picrotoxin-induced myoclonus. The combined effect of the least protective doses of AOAA and 5-HTP was greater than the sum of their individual inhibitory effects on picrotoxin-induced myoclonus. Further, AOAA failed to inhibit picrotoxin-induced myoclonus in PCPA pretreated rats. These findings suggest that the central 5-HT-ergic system exerts a facilitatory influence on the GABA-ergic system and thus it is involved in the antimyoclonic action of GABA.