Neurochemical changes induced by acute and chronic administration of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and salsolinol in dopaminergic structures of rat brain.

The finding that endogenous tetrahydroisoquinolines may be involved in the etiology of Parkinson's disease suggests that their administration may cause changes resembling those observed in parkinsonian brain. We tested, using a high-performance liquid chromatography method, how single and chronic administration of 1,2, 3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and salsolinol affects dopamine and serotonin metabolism in the neurons of extrapyramidal and mesolimbic dopaminergic systems. We report that chronic administration of tetrahydroisoquinoline and salsolinol causes a decrease in a dopamine metabolism: the effect of tetrahydroisoquinoline was limited to the striatum, while salsolinol caused also a dramatic decline of dopamine level in the substantia nigra. The effect of both compounds on serotonin metabolism was small or absent. The tetrahydroisoquinolines produced no changes in the nucleus accumbens. The results indicate that tetrahydroisoquinoline and salsolinol specifically affect the nigrostriatal dopamine system, but only when administered chronically, and thus are compatible with the view that endogenous tetrahydroisoquinolines may participate in pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.