Norepinephrine Uptake Is Enhanced in Discrete Telencephalic and Diencephalic Areas and Nuclei in Prehepatic Portal Hypertensive Rats

LEMBERG A; PERAZZO JC; ROMAY S; EIZAYAGA F; VATTA MS; RODRIGUEZ FERMEPIN M; BIANCIOTTI LG; CAROLINA MORGAZO; FERNADEZ BE

BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 1998 vol. 45 p. 153 - 156

0361-9230

Several evidences support the hypothesis that centralcatecholamines may play a significant role in the productionand/or maintenance of different alterations that characterizeportal hypertension. The aim of the present work was to studythe possible modifications in norepinephrine (NE) metabolismin several telencephalic and diencephalic areas rich in NE inexperimental prehepatic portal hypertension. NE uptake wasstudied as an index of NE metabolism. The experiments werecarried out in vitro in encephalic areas and nuclei, obtainedaccording to the punch-out technique. Results indicated thatportal hypertensive rats showed an enhancement of NE uptakein olfactory bulb (OB), preoptic area (PA), and supraoptic,periventricular, paraventricular, and arcuate nuclei (SON, PeVN,PaVN, and AN, respectively) compared to sham-operated rats.However, no modifications on NE uptake was observed in themedian eminence (ME). Present results suggest that thechanges observed in central NE uptake may be related to thedevelopment and/or maintenance of the portal hypertensivestate.