Antipsychotic, antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant drugs induce type II nitric oxide synthase mRNA in rat brain

Neurosci Lett. 2002 Nov 29;333(3):217-9. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(02)01035-2.

Abstract

Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors have been regarded as potentially beneficial for psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, though little is known about how nitric oxide synthases are affected by psychotropic drugs in the brain. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis, we investigated the effects of short- and long-term oral treatments with several psychotropics on type II nitric oxide synthase gene expression in the rat brain. With maprotiline and fluvoxamine, enzyme mRNA levels were higher after a 28 day treatment than after 1 and 4 day treatments. Zonisamide, carbamazepine and diazepam also increased mRNA, though differences in levels between 1, 4 and 28 day treatments were not significant. These results suggest that psychotropics modulate the gene expression of type-II nitric oxide synthase in the brain.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anticonvulsants / pharmacology*
  • Antidepressive Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antipsychotic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / enzymology
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Carbamazepine / pharmacology
  • Chlorpromazine / pharmacology
  • Diazepam / pharmacology
  • Fluvoxamine / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Haloperidol / pharmacology
  • Isoxazoles / pharmacology
  • Lithium / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Maprotiline / pharmacology
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / biosynthesis*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / genetics
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
  • RNA, Messenger / drug effects
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Time Factors
  • Zonisamide

Substances

  • Anticonvulsants
  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Isoxazoles
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Maprotiline
  • Carbamazepine
  • Zonisamide
  • Lithium
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Nos2 protein, rat
  • Haloperidol
  • Fluvoxamine
  • Diazepam
  • Chlorpromazine