Purinergic Modulation of NMDA-evoked Release of Noradrenaline from Slices of Rat Brain Cortex

Charles University in Prague Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Farmacology and Toxicology Performed at: the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto Candidate: Tereza Pelikánová Supervisors: Maria da Glória Correia da Silva Queiroz, PhD PharmDr. Marie Vopršalová, CSc. Title of diploma thesis: Purinergic Modulation of NMDA-evoked Release of Noradrenaline from Slices of Rat Brain Cortex ABSTRACT In the rat brain cortex, noradrenaline (NA) release can be triggered by activation of neurons projecting from locus coeruleus and by locally released glutamate. ATP released from astrocytes may also activate P2 receptors contributing to the modulation of neuron-glia signalling in noradrenergic and glutamatergic transmissions. The P2Y1 receptor subtype has been shown to modulate cortical NMDA receptor channels, but the subtypes of purinergic receptors involved in modulation of NA release in brain cortex remain unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the purinergic receptors involved in the modulation of NA release evoked by activation of NMDA receptors in rat cerebral cortex. Brain slices were incubated with [3H]-NA, superfused with buffer with 0 Mg2+ and stimulated for two periods (S1 and S2) with 30 μM NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) applied for 2 min, with an interval of 45 min. During..