The effects of dopaminergic and adrenergic drugs on twitch response of guinea-pig common bile duct

Evidences for involvement of nitric oxide in the gastroprotective effect of bromocriptine and cyclosporin A on water immersion stress-induced gastric lesions

Previous studies have been shown that the adrenergic system involves in gastric secretion and pathogenesis of peptic lesion and activation of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors located on the vagus nerve inhibits gastric acid secretion. Bromocriptine, a dopamine receptor agonist, also has alpha(2) agonistic effect and prevents indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer. alpha(2)-Adrenoceptors involve in the release of nitric oxide which has cytoprotective activity in gastric mucosa. Cyclosporin A (CsA) has also been suppressed stress-induced gastric mucosal lesions, dose dependently. The object of this study was to clarify the interaction between the anti-ulcer effect of bromocriptine (2, 4, 8 mg kg(-1)) or cyclosporin A (5, 10, 20 mg kg(-1)) and nitric oxide. Intraperitoneal injections of bromocriptine and cyclosporin A prevented water immersion stress-induced gastric ulcer in rats. L-Nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, increased stress-induced lesions while L-arginine, a precursor of nitric oxide, decreased these lesions. In conclusion, increasing level of nitric oxide by bromocriptine and cyclosporin A may be one of the contributory factors in their protective effects on gastric mucosa.

Comparison of the effect of levodopa and bromocriptine on naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal symptoms in mice

In this study, the effect of l-dopa and bromocriptine on morphine withdrawal syndrome was compared. Both l-dopa (125, 250 mg/kg, i.p.) and low doses of bromocriptine (0.04, 0.08 mg/kg, i.p.) potentiated naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal symptoms such as jumping, climbing and rearing in mice. Higher doses of bromocriptine (0.16, 0.32 mg/kg, i.p.) attenuated these naloxone-induced symptoms. SKF 83566, D(1) dopamine antagonist (0.4, 0.8 mg/kg, i.p.) and sulpiride, D(2) dopamine antagonist (5, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) when used alone, also produced inhibitory effects on naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal symptoms. Pretreatment with sulpiride (5, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) and SKF 83566 (0.4, 0.8 mg/kg, i.p.) attenuated the potentiating effects of l-dopa on withdrawal symptoms significantly. Pretreatment with sulpiride also decreased the potentiating effect of bromocriptine and reinforced the inhibitory action of it, but SKF 83566 pretreatment just reinforced the effect of higher doses of bromocriptine. Concurrent pretreatment of animals with sulpiride (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and SKF 83566 (0.8 mg/kg, i.p.) markedly decreased the potentiating effects of l-dopa and bromocriptine and reinforced the inhibitory action of bromocriptine on the naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal syndrome. Prazosin, alpha(1) antagonist (1, 2 mg/kg, i.p.) decreased the naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal syndrome significantly. Pretreatment with yohimbine, alpha(2)-antagonist (5 mg/kg, i.p.) reversed the inhibitory effects of bromocriptine (0.16, 0.32 mg/kg, i.p.) on naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal syndrome significantly. In conclusion, our results show that bromocriptine at lower doses (0.04, 0.08 mg/kg, i.p.) acts similar to l-dopa, but at higher doses (0.16, 0.32 mg/kg, i.p.) shows different effects on naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal syndrome which may be due to the interaction of bromocriptine with alpha-adrenoceptors. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.