Temporal relationship between noradrenaline release in the central amygdala and plasma noradrenaline secretion in...

In pentobarbital anesthetized Wistar rats and tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri) the hypothalamus, the hippocampus and the amygdala were simultaneously superfused through push-pull cannulae with artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Blood samples were withdrawn in order to make an attempt to correlate release rates of noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline and dopamine in the above-mentioned areas with plasma catecholamine levels. A strong, positive correlation was found between NA release in central amygdala and NA concentrations in peripheral blood suggesting a functional relationship between noradrenergic systems in discrete brain areas and the activity of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system.