Abstract
A simple histochemical method for screening amine uptake in vitro is described. The filum terminale and the Vibratome® sections of the caudate nucleus of reserpinized rats were used as the sources of noradrenaline (NA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and as the sources of dopamine (DA) containing neurons, respectively. When incubated in an oxygenated medium (Krebs-Ringer) containing the corresponding amines, these preparations effectively accumulated the amines. 6-Hydroxytryptamine (6-HT) was used instead of 5-HT because of its stronger fluorescence and lower photo-decomposition of beta-carboline formed from 6-HT. The inhibitory patterns of representative uptake inhibitors obtained by the present method agreed well with those reported previously by biochemical methods. Effects of other types of drugs were also studied. The present method is a simple, rapid and non-radioisotopic method for determining amine uptake inhibiting action of a drug and the degree and selectivity in which it acts on the three kinds of amines.
