Correlation between behavioral and biochemical effects of p-chlorophenylalanine in mice and rats

Abstract

The relationship between brain monoanunes and the behavioral effect ofp-chlorophenylalanine in mice and rats was investigated. When brain serotonin was depleted byp-chlorophenylalanine spontaneous motor activity was decreased only in rats. Administration ofp-chlorophenylalanine changed neither the brain levels of catecholamines in both species nor the turnover rate of brain norepinephrine and dopamine in rats. These results suggest that the decrease of spontaneous motor activity afterp chlorophenylalanine administration is probably not mediated through serotonin or the catecholamines and that another mode ofp-chlorophenylalanine action must be supposed.