FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DOPAMINERGIC SYSTEM, ASCORBIC-ACID AND URIC-ACID IN THE RAT STRIATUM

Levels of dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), ascorbic acid (AA), dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA), and uric acid were determined in the rat striatum following single apomorphine (1 mg/kg), scopolamine (0.6 mg/kg), pilocarpine (4 mg/kg), or pilocarpine + scopolamine (4 and 0.6 mg/kg, respectively) injections. The decrease in DOPAC levels and in the DOPAC/DA ratio, induced by the pharmacological manipulation, was linearly correlated with the increase in DHAA levels (r = -0.9060, P < 0.05) and with the increase in the DHAA/AA ratio (r = -0.9004, P < 0.05), respectively. It is concluded that dopaminergic activation or cholinergic inhibition both increase striatal AA oxidation, which is correlated with a decrease in DA turnover.