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Octopamine as a putative neurotransmitter

J M Saavedra, J Axelrod

    Advances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology
    |January 1, 1976
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Octopamine, an amine found in many animals, may act as a neurotransmitter in lower organisms. In mammals, it likely functions alongside norepinephrine in the sympathetic nervous system.

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    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Biochemistry
    • Animal Physiology

    Background:

    • Octopamine is a naturally occurring amine present in the nervous tissues of diverse animal species.
    • In mammals, octopamine is synthesized from tyramine via beta-hydroxylation, catalyzed by dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) within sympathetic nerves.
    • It shares subcellular storage sites with norepinephrine (NE) and can be released upon sympathetic nerve stimulation.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the potential role of octopamine as a neurotransmitter in various animal species.
    • To explore the biochemical and physiological effects of octopamine, particularly in invertebrates and mammals.
    • To determine the likelihood of octopamine functioning as a cotransmitter in the mammalian peripheral sympathetic nervous system.

    Main Methods:

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    • Literature review and synthesis of existing neurophysiological and biochemical data.
    • Comparative analysis of octopamine distribution and function across different animal phyla.
    • Examination of octopamine's biochemical effects, such as cyclic AMP synthesis and phosphorylase activation in insects.

    Main Results:

    • Octopamine is found in high concentrations in the central nerve cord of crustaceans.
    • Specific octopamine-containing cells and potential receptors have been identified in invertebrates like Aplysia.
    • In insects, octopamine triggers biochemical responses, including increased cyclic AMP and phosphorylase activation.

    Conclusions:

    • Strong evidence suggests octopamine functions as a neurotransmitter in lower animals.
    • While its precise role in mammals is not fully established, octopamine likely acts as a cotransmitter with norepinephrine in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system.