[Effect of Bromovincamine on noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine contents, and glucose metabolism in rat brain: analysis using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) (author's transl)].

Effects of Bromovincamine (BV) on cerebral noradrenaline (NA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) contents, and glucose metabolism in the brain were studied using stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SHR-SP), stroke-resistant spontaneously hypertensive (SHR), age-matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKR) and Wistar rats. In the SHR-SP which have a low level of NA in the hypothalamus, a continuous administration of BV for 1 week induced a normalization of the hypothalamic NA content. Under the same experimental conditions, a tendency toward normalization of hypothalamic NA was also observed in SHR. 5-HT contents in the cerebellum, striatum, hypothalamus, midbrain and hippocampus of SHR showed a significant increase following a single injection of BV. Similarly, 5-HT contents in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex of Wistar, WKR and SHR showed a significant increase following a continuous administration of BV for 1 week. Both in vitro and in vivo administration of BV significantly inhibited the high concentration of K+ evoked glucose consumption in cerebral cortical slices from SHR, WKR and Wistar rats, whereas glucose consumption in cerebral cortical slices from SHR determined in the absence of high concentration of K+ increased significantly following continuous in vivo administration of BV. The present results suggest that BV may be an useful drug for improving abnormal cerebral metabolisms of NA, 5-HT and glucose.