Changes in brain dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin associated with convulsions induced by pinealectomy in the gerbil.

In three separate experiments, adult male gerbils 10 weeks of age were pinealectomized (PX), observed for convulsions, and sacrificed at various intervals after PX. Norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) in selected brain parts were determined by fluorometric procedures. No changes in DA were observed. Serotonin levels were shown to be elevated in sham-operated and PX animals, possibly due to stress phenomena associated with anesthesia or surgical procedures. Norepinephrine was significantly depressed over control and sham-operated animals by 1 hour after surgery with a post-operative duration of at least 12 hours. Results in this study did not indicate whether the decreased NE was the cause or an effect of the PX-induced convulsive activity.