Disulfiram-like effect of diethyl maleate on barbiturate-induced hypnosis and 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism.

Diethyl maleate (DEM, 600 mg kg-1 i.p.) significantly potentiated hexobarbitone hypnosis and lowered plasma hexobarbitone level on awakening. Sleeping time following intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of phenobarbitone was also prolonged by DEM treatment. When administered to DEM-treated rats, L-tryptophan (50 mg kg-1 i.p.) significantly potentiated hexobarbitone hypnosis, although alone it had no effect in control rats. DEM markedly diminished the activity of brain low-Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (A1DH) and the formation of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid from 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) without affecting MAO activity in various areas of the brain. Conversely, the protein-bound radioactivity derived from i.c.v. [14C]-5-HT was increased by DEM treatment. These results showed that DEM is comparable with disulfiram, a brain A1DH inhibitor, in terms of its effect on 5-HT metabolism and barbiturate hypnosis.