L-DOPA and quipazine elicit air-stepping in neonatal rats with spinal cord transections

Behav Neurosci. 1997 Aug;111(4):825-33. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.111.4.825.

Abstract

Acute mid-thoracic spinal cord transection eliminates hindlimb air-stepping in neonatal rats suspended in harnesses and administered L-DOPA. Because spinal cord transection eliminates all descending inputs to the hindlimb locomotor circuits, this experiment determined if coadministration of L-DOPA and quipazine (serotonin receptor agonist) would induce hindlimb air-stepping in rat pups 24 hr after transection. Hindlimb steps of spinally transected pups that received L-DOPA or quipazine alone were infrequent and slow; hindlimb steps induced by L-DOPA + quipazine occurred more frequently and were faster than those elicited by either drug alone. These findings suggest that catecholaminergic and serotonergic systems both contribute to hindlimb stepping.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Dopamine Agents / pharmacology*
  • Drug Synergism
  • Efferent Pathways / drug effects
  • Hindlimb / innervation*
  • Levodopa / pharmacology*
  • Locomotion / drug effects*
  • Quipazine / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Serotonin Receptor Agonists / pharmacology*
  • Spinal Cord / drug effects*

Substances

  • Dopamine Agents
  • Serotonin Receptor Agonists
  • Levodopa
  • Quipazine