Table 2. Sulpiride-induced effect on hypothalamic catecholamines, norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA).
| Control | SULP | B[a]P | B[a]P+ SULP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | 182.0±19.4 | 76.8±3.3** | 281.8±16.6 | 200.0±11.1* |
| DA | 18.9±2.3 | 8.1±1.5* | 19.4±0.7 | 16.1±1.1 |
| DOPAC | 13.3±1.0 | 17.4±0.1 | 11.1±0.7 | 13.8±1.1 |
| HVA | 3.3±0.5 | 3.1±0.2 | 2.0±0.1 | 3.5±0.4 |
| Turnover DA | 0.9±0.13 | 2.6±0.4** | 0.7±0.1 | 1.1±0.1 |
The evaluation of the effect of sulpiride (SULP), a dopamine D2-antagonist, on hypothalamic dopaminergic activity was based on the alterations observed at DA turnover ratio (HVA+DOPAC)/DA. DA, NE, DOPAC and HVA levels were expressed in nmoles/g tissue. HVA: homovanilic acid; DOPAC: dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. Values are expressed as mean ± SE (n = 10). The asterisks indicate the significance of the differences between SULP-treated rats and controls, and between benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-exposed rats with and without concomitant treatment with SULP;
*P< 0.05
**P< 0.01
***P< 0.001