Effects of reserpine and chlorpromazine on the serotonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine levels in the pineal-paraphyseal complex of soft-shelled turtles (Lissemys punctata punctata).

Turtles were injected intramuscularly with reserpine (0.5 mg/100 g body wt) and chlorpromazine (10 mg/100 g body wt) at 2400, 1800, and 0600 hr and were sacrificed at 6, 12, and 24 hr, respectively after the treatments, i.e., at 0600 hr. The spectrofluorometric findings revealed that the serotonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine contents of the pineal-paraphyseal complex decreased at 6 hr, increased at 12 hr, and declined again at 24 hr after the treatments. It is suggested that reserpine and chlorpromazine act largely by favoring release with transient resynthesis of these amines in the pineal-paraphyseal complex of soft-shelled turtles.