Behavioral and neurochemical effects of fencamfamine on rats: a chronobiologic approach

Fencamfamine (FCF) is a psychostimulant classified as an indirect dopaminergic agonist. Circadian rhythms of some behavioral and neurochemical parameters were investigated in control rats and in rats which had been treated with a single dose of FCF across the 24-hr span. Rats were entrained to light/dark (LD) 12:12, lights on from 0700 to 1900. In behavioral experiments (performed in March) the rats were injected intraperitoneally with saline or FCF (3.5 mg/kg) at one of six times: 0900, 1300, 1700, 2100, 0100 or 0500. Fifteen minutes after treatment the duration of sniffing, rearing and locomotion was recorded during 120 min. Controls showed circadian rhythms for sniffing and rearing with acrophases at 2255 and 0118, respectively. In animals treated with FCF, only locomotion displayed significant circadian variation with acrophase at 1912. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a statistically significant circadian time-dependent effect of FCF on all behavioral parameters studied; the increase of sniffing, rearing and locomotion induced by FCF was higher in rats treated during the rest phase. In the biochemical studies (performed between March-June), rats were treated (i.p.) with saline or FCF (10 mg/kg) at one of four times: 0900, 1700, 2100 or 0100. The levels of homovanillic acid (HVA) in the striatum and tuberculum olfactorium, 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the cerebellum and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxypheniglycol (MHPG) in the frontal cortex were determined. Controls showed circadian rhythms for HVA (striatum), MHPG (frontal cortex) and 5-HIAA (cerebellum) with acrophases at 2233, 1955 and 1029, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)