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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
Published on: August 15, 2017
The secretory effect of canatoxin on rat brain synaptosomes involves a lipoxygenase-mediated pathway
C Barja-Fidalgo1, J A Guimarães, C R Carlini
1Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Abstract:
Canatoxin (CNTX), a neurotoxic protein, is known to activate platelet secretion and aggregation in vitro through a lipoxygenase-dependent pathway. This study shows that CNTX also induces time and dose-dependent serotonin secretion from rat brain synaptosomes. The secretory effect induced by 6 microM CNTX was similar to that elicited by 150 mM KCl. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (500 microM) completely abolished CNTX-induced serotonin release while 150 microM indomethacin had no effect. These data suggest the involvement of the lipoxygenase pathway in neurotransmitter release elicited by CNTX as occurs in the platelet.
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