Prostaglandins mediate some central effects of angiotensin II

Pretreatment of rats with paracetamol (200 mg/kg po) abolished the enhancement of apomorphine and amphetamine stereotypy evoked by angiotensin II (0.5 microgram icv). The effect of angiotensin II was restored by an icv administration of 1 microgram of PGE1 X PGF2 alpha abolished the enhancement of stereotypy evoked by angiotensin II. PGE1 increased, while PGF2 alpha did not change the basic stereotypy induced by apomorphine and amphetamine. A specific radioimmunoassay of E-type prostaglandins (PGE1 + PGE2) revealed an increase by 136% in the level of PGE in the striata of rats pretreated with angiotensin II. These results suggest that stimulatory effects of angiotensin II in the central nigrostriatal system are, at least in part, mediated by the release of the E type of prostaglandins.